


Redemption

by Honeybeeontime



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-08-19 19:35:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 47
Words: 61,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8222429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeybeeontime/pseuds/Honeybeeontime
Summary: Will Horton wakes up from what he thought was a nightmare to find himself a prisoner. He finds himself in a far away place torn apart by war. All he wants to do is get home to his daughter, but that won't be easy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Carapheonix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carapheonix/gifts).



Will heard a strange chanting that he didn’t recognize. It was eerie and otherworldly but not totally unfamiliar. He felt like he should know what it was. 

Will had had a horrible nightmare that he was dead and going to be buried alive. Ben had murdered him. He had been aware of everything, including his mom and dad grieving him in the morgue but he couldn’t speak and tell them he was okay. 

Then, things went black. 

He half expected to wake up in hell. He didn’t belong in heaven, after all. Everyone thought so, except maybe his parents and his daughter. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t let the feelings of insecurity and fear not rule him.

Perhaps he had gotten what he deserved. He would miss his daughter, though. She didn’t deserve to lose her daddy, the only person who had never left her. That was the one thing he could cling to. He had never left his daughter by choice. That was the only thing that made him good. In everything else, no matter what he did, he was garbage. 

He opened his eyes, and he found himself in a relatively comfortable bed. He opened his eyes, and he seemed to be in a hotel room of some kind. His mouth was dry, but there was an IV in his arm. He sat up. 

He saw a bottle of water on the nightstand. He took it and drank. The air was so dry, like he was in Arizona or something. Then, he remembered the chanting. It was a call to prayer. Perhaps he was further away than Arizona. 

He was dressed in plain, white pajamas that didn’t feel very American. He managed to get on his feet, though he was wobbly. The rug was soft, likely silk, and very expensive. It looked Persian maybe. 

He made his way carefully to a nearby window, and he was definitely in a desert. Standing made him tired, and he went back to the bed. He wasn’t sure if he should shout for help. Maybe he was dead and this was a weird kind of hell, but he didn’t think hell would have silk rugs and bottled water. 

He thought of shouting, but he was afraid. Whatever was going on, he figured the people who brought him here might mean him harm. 

He got back on the bed and started sipping his water again. He should concentrate on getting strong. He tried to examine the IV to see what he was being given. He wanted to rip the thing out of his arm, but then he worried it might be keeping him alive. 

He was so hungry, too. It was like he hadn’t eaten in days. 

There was a rattle and someone came in the door. It was a man in his 40s, in a lab coat. He looked Arab, and his face was kind as well as handsome. He also looked at Will a bit fearfully, as though he wasn't sure what to expect from Will.

“Mr. Horton," he said in heavily accented English. “I’m glad you are awake. You’ve been unconscious for several days. You are probably very hungry.” 

Will swallowed as the doctor began to take his vitals. “I need to call my father and my mother. They need to know I'm all right.” 

The doctor looked at him sadly. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. I know you have many questions, but I regret to inform you that you are a prisoner here. I am to keep you safe and comfortable. When you are stronger, perhaps you can be further enlightened as to your situation.” 

The doctor looked at him with sympathy but also a bit of sternness. The look said: don’t try anything stupid. Will wasn’t strong, and he he had no shoes, and he was starving. Trying to fight wasn’t going to help matters. 

Will needed to assess his situation and get well if he was going to escape. “Why am I here?” asked Will. 

“I don’t know,” replied the doctor. 

Will sighed.

“You need to eat. I’ll have some food brought to you,” said the doctor. 

“What’s your name?” asked Will. 

“Dr. Nazar,” replied the doctor. “You’re doing fine. Better than the young woman that was transported the same way. She arrived days before you, but she still hasn’t spoken. I’ll send you a tray of food. Eat as much as you can but don’t make yourself sick.” 

The doctor turned and left as Will processed the information that there was another prisoner. 

A few minutes later, an older man brought him a tray. It was some sort of kebab dish, further solidifying Will’s feeling that he was somewhere in the Middle East. He ate slowly, and he managed to consume about half the meal before nausea set in. 

The doctor returned, and to Will’s relief, he removed the IV. “We need get you more convenient clothes and shoes. Trust me, you won’t be escaping so stop thinking about it. We’re in the middle of a desert that happens to be a war zone. In any direction, you’ll find death in one way or another.” 

Will didn't respond. 

“I should know,” continued the doctor softly. “I’m a prisoner myself.” 

Will was skeptical, but he considered this information. This doctor might be a potential ally. 

“Why are you treating me then?” Will asked.

The doctor looked at Will. “In a war zone, doctors are scarce. I’ve been pressed into service. I don’t mind. Working is far better than sitting around dreaming of an impossible escape.” 

Will didn't respond to that either. He just wondered if he should trust this man at all. 

“Will,” said the doctor after an awkward pause, “your cousin has been brought here as well, and as I said, she was far more traumatized by the transport process. Perhaps if she heard a familiar voice, it might help her.” 

Will had lots of cousins on both sides. “Abigail?” he asked. 

The doctor shook his head. “Her name is Theresa.” 

Will nodded. “Can I see her?” 

The doctor pulled a pair of slippers out of the closet. “These should fit you. She’s just down the hall.” 

Will put on the slippers and followed the doctor, taking careful note of the hallway, and the fact that wherever they were was highly luxurious. This was not a primitive or ill equipped prison. This was a palace of some sort. There were also guards with assault rifles stationed in the hall. He looked for insignias, but their uniforms were plain. 

Dr. Nazar led Will into a room similar to the one where he had awakened. He saw a young woman on the bed, staring straight ahead. He was shocked, because this person was not only not Theresa, the person was supposed to be dead. It was Paige Larson, his cousin’s girlfriend. She was his Theresa’s niece, on the other side of her family. 

“That’s not my cousin. That’s Paige,” said Will slowly before thinking about what the mistaken identity could mean and realizing that his family probably thought him dead. 

Paige looked up, and her face reacted. Will realized she recognized him, and she started to cry, and she said his name. He hardly knew her, but he moved toward her and gave her a hug. 

She started to cry harder, and she hugged him back, two of the women who were in the room barked and Will was pulled away from her. One woman sharply admonished Paige. Both of the women wore headscarves.

“What do you mean that isn’t your cousin?” asked the doctor softly. 

Will wasn’t sure if he should backtrack, but he decided the doctor was too smart. “She’s definitely not my cousin Theresa.” 

Paige reached out and grabbed Will’s hand, but one of the woman pulled her hand away. 

“Stop that,” said Will to the women. “We know each other.” 

“Is she your family?” asked Dr. Nazar. “If she were, then you could obviously have some say in her care. Of course only a husband or father would be allowed custody of her or to touch her.” Dr. Nazar spoke the words carefully, and his eyes met Will's. He was prompting Will to something, trying to signal him. 

Will’s mind raced. He thought of a story he had read in _The New Yorker_ about a young American woman taken by ISIS. Her Syrian boyfriend had said if he had lied and said they were married, they could have stayed together.

He put his hand on Paige’s again, and one of the female chaperons separated their hands, and Paige started to cry. 

“I’ll be right back, sweetie,” said Will. He turned to the doctor, who gestured for him to come to the hall. 

Will went with him, and he knew what he had to say. “That isn't my cousin. She’s….she’s….my wife.” The lie felt very awkward, and worse, it didn’t look like the doctor believed it. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” replied Dr. Nazar slowly. “That will change the plans for her. Again, she is not your cousin but your wife?” 

Will’s stomach turned, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was lying. He inhaled slightly, and he turned his face into a mask. He thought of JJ. He thought of Uncle Shane and Aunt Kim. He thought of Eve. Mostly, though, he thought of Paige. “Yes.” 

The doctor inhaled. “The plan for your cousin Theresa, what we were supposed to do to her…it’s better this way. “ 

Will figured it was best not to ask, at least not yet. Will wondered what had happened, and how it was that Paige had been taken instead of Theresa. He also wondered who would have a vendetta against his family, though the list was long. 

“Well, then,” said Will, “tell those women that she’s my wife, and that I’ll be taking care of her.” 

The doctor smiled at Will. “I can’t give you a computer connected to the internet, but I have a laptop with Rosetta Stone in Arabic loaded. You’re going to need to learn to tell people that yourself.” 

Will nodded, and even though he was terrified and confused, he knew he needed to help Paige. Then, maybe he could work on escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Will sat in the window of Paige’s room, looking out at the strange desert scene. He couldn’t see much outside the palace, but it seemed that there was a main road just beyond a palace gate. The palace appeared to the centerpiece of a huge, walled complex, and there was razor wire along the top of the wall. There were also visible guard towers.

Will was being careful what he said to Paige, as he assumed that the room was most certainly bugged and probably had a camera on it as well.

“Do you know where we are? What country this is?” asked Will.

Paige had calmed down in the last hour, but she still wasn’t very verbal. The female chaperones had left once they had been told that Will was Paige’s husband, so they were alone. Will had spoken kindly to Paige, but he didn’t even know if she understood the lie he had told or why he had told it.

“Everyone is speaking Arabic,” he said. “So that narrows the field. Dr. Nazar said we are in a war zone.”

Will was trying to figure out where they could be. Options scrolled through his head. Iraq. Yemen. Egypt. Syria. Lebanon. Libya.

“Syria,” said Paige softly, her voice shaking a bit. “This Russian lady came to see me the day after I woke up told me we were in a suburb of Damascus.”

Paige absently put her hands on her throat, and Will moved closer to her. “I know what you went through when you were taken. I went through it, too.”

Paige looked shocked and in shock. “Why? Who would do this?”

Will sighed. “I don’t know. They weren’t after you, though. You were mistaken for Theresa.”

Paige’s lip vibrated a bit, and Will took her hand. “It’s lucky we are married, or they probably wouldn’t let us stay together.” He enunciated the words very clearly.

Will locked eyes with her, hoping she would get it. She was no dummy, and she did. She nodded, and she hugged him.

“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

“You need to rest and get strong,” he replied. “We may not be allowed to leave yet, but we need to figure out why we are here, and how we can get out. If we find out why we’re here, maybe we can reason with them.”

Will knew that it was highly unlikely their captors could be reasoned with but they didn’t need to know he knew that. He also knew they had to talk someplace where they wouldn’t be heard, but he wasn’t sure where that would be.

There was a knock, and Will went to open the door. The female chaperones returned, and they were carrying boxes. Will looked in them, and he saw clothes and shoes. One box was clearly for Paige, and the other was obviously for Will. The clothes also appeared expensive, to Will’s surprise.

“Well, at least they don’t expect us to stay in these pajamas forever,” he quipped.

Paige looked at him. “I think it’s traditional garb for this culture. Not sleepwear.”

Will blushed. He should have known that. He was an educated person. Paige peered into her box. “It looks like these are a little more Western.”

“I’m glad you’re speaking now. The doctor told me you were catatonic,” he said.

Paige shot Will a glance, and he realized that she had been at least partially feigning her catatonia.

“They even got my shoe size right,” said Will, pulling out a pair of rugged leather boots.

Paige held up a pair of dainty ballet flats and a scarf. “Looks like they don't expect me to go hiking, but they do expect me to cover my hair.”

Will sighed. “Are you going to? Are you okay with that?”

“I think we should try and fit in,” replied Paige. “The Russian woman who came to see me… she wasn’t wearing a scarf. She said to the doctor I had to get better before I joined her staff. She also told me that she heard I liked to have a good time, and that where I was going that would be my job. She said I would meet lots of rich men. I got the message.”

Will felt totally nauseous, and he now understood exactly why Dr. Nazar had prompted him the way he did.

“I’m sorry this happened,” continued Paige, “but I’m glad you’re here.”

Will took a deep breath. “Let’s get dressed,” he said.

The room has a small bathroom where he changed, and then she did. When she emerged, he noticed her clothes were far less Western than his. She wore a printed tunic over loose black pants. He just had a regular button down shirt and pants that might have come from The Gap. Beyond that, he wouldn’t ever look like he fit in here, but Paige’s coloring would allow her to blend better in if they managed to escape.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said Willl.

Dr. Nazar came in with a laptop and he handed it to Will. “As I said, it’s not connected to the internet. It’s got Rosetta Stone’s Arabic course on it. I suggest you two begin study right away.”

Will took it. “Thank you, but do you know if we will be able to leave here? We can't stay here indefinitely.”

Dr. Nazar smirked. “I’ve been a guest of the regime for three years. There are others, including a blogger who ran afoul of the authorities but she is too admired to actually send to prison. There’s also a novelist who dared to try and thinly veil our president and his family. There are rumors he might be up for a Nobel. You two are in good company.”

Paige stepped forward. “You seem to have some freedom of movement. Can we look around? Where can we get food? We’ll have to wash these clothes at some point…”

Nazar seemed impressed to hear Paige actually speak, and if the speed of her recovery surprised him, he did not show it.

“I will speak to the general in charge on your behalf. As a physician, I believe you both need exercise to speed your recovery. I see no reason why you shouldn’t be allowed to walk in the courtyard. I will also recommend you be given accommodations large enough for two people to live comfortably. I know little of the reasons why you are here, but I know that keeping you both alive is a priority.”

Will wondered if he was telling the entire truth, but that didn't matter. At the moment, cooperation was their best bet.


	3. Chapter 3

Will and Paige followed Dr. Nazar down the hallway, past several of the armed guards and down a flight of elegant stairs and then down a less elegant flight of stairs that led to a door that led to an expansive courtyard.

It was blisteringly hot outside, but the dry, fresh air was still welcome in Will’s lungs. Dr. Nazar led them through the courtyard, past a swimming pool with several attractive women in bikinis lounging around.

“Don’t look at them, Paige,” ordered Dr. Nazar. “You’re not to mix with those women. You don’t want anyone here to get the impression you’re one of them.”

Paige looked down at her feet, and Will took her arm gently as they walked past.

“Who are they?” asked Will. “Where did they come from?”

Dr. Nazar shrugged. “Lots of places. They are here to serve …they are well paid. Only the president and his closest friends may partake.”

Will understood, and it was clear Paige did, too. He wasn't going to judge those women, but he also didn’t think anyone deserved to be forced into that life, including Paige and Theresa.

They walked through a small gate within the courtyard, and they found themselves in a greenhouse of some kind. It was cooler than the outside, and vegetables and flowers fountained out of pots and planters. There was a bench, and Dr. Nazar gestured for them to sit down as he went and turned on a series of sprinklers that made a rushing water sound.

“That will give you some privacy to talk,” said Dr. Nazar.

“Are you sure?” asked Will.

“Moderately,” replied Nazar. “Outside also is also free of bugs but there are many people about. By the way, I’ve arranged for you two to be housed in one of the guest bungalows where the important…prisoners stay. You’ll be treated as honored guests as long as you make no trouble.”

Will didn’t respond. Neither did Paige.

“You two need to understand. In one direction is DASH…what you call ISIS. In another are the Kurds. There’s a group of Iranian special forces, so I’m told. If you don’t run into any of them, you’ll find government forces and the Russians. If you’re lucky, you might find more moderate rebels but that’s unlikely. Right now, this palace is secure only because we’re guarded by Russian fighter jets and ground troops. If they go, ISIS will most certainly come.”

Paige put her hand over her mouth. Will just stared at the doctor.

“If that happens, you two should try and pass yourselves off as converts. You might survive. I’ll bring you texts. Study them,” he said.

“Can you get us a teacher?” asked Paige. “Maybe one of the other guests?”

Dr. Nazar nodded. “There’s an Imam who has criticized the regime. His English isn’t polished, but I’m sure he’d jump at the chance to teach you.”

Will bit his lip. He had always rejected organized religion. From the time he was a young boy, he knew that he was considered a sinner by most of them not for the things he did but who he was. He had no use for it.

Dr. Nazar headed toward the door. “I’ll leave you alone. Be cautious. You can walk around in the gardens outside, but be careful and obey the guards. If you become lost, ask for one of them for help.”

Paige exhaled, and she put her face in her hands. “Thank you," she said. “You saved me. I know it must be hard for you…to deny your truth.”

Will rolled his eyes. “This isn’t a college campus. I’m fine with denying any truth that will get me killed or worse.”

That was his truth. Will knew who he was, so what he told other people didn’t matter, at least not under the circumstances.

“That’s big of you. I appreciate what you did, what you told them. I didn’t know how long I could stall them.”

Will didn’t want to think about what would have befallen her had he not arrived.

“They can’t keep us here forever,” said Will. “Eventually, they’ll let us go or trade us or ransom us, but we should also look for opportunities. There also has to be an internet connected device somewhere in this palace. We need to find it and somehow get a message out.”

Paige looked over her shoulder, as though someone was watching. “Who can we contact? Nobody is going to believe us. They think we’re dead…”  
 Will thought for a moment. Obviously he wanted his mom and dad and Arianna and Gabi and Sonny to all know the truth, but he knew this was a time to think practically. He tried to think of who would believe them and who could help them. “Your Grandpa Shane…do you email with him?”

Paige nodded.

Will knew a few burner email sites that they could use to contact Shane that wouldn’t leave any trace on whatever device they used. As a journalist, he used them to contact sources. “Shane should be the first person we contact. He’ll believe us and we can ask him what to do. Maybe he can let the US government know we’re here.”

“Where do you think the nearest consulate or Embassy is?” asked Paige. “We can try and get there.”

“I don’t know,” replied Will, “but I think the safest bet is Turkey. It’s to the North. We haven’t got passports, though, so I don’t know how we’ll get across the border. It’s just…"

Paige looked at him. “What?”

“We don’t know why we’re here. What if the government already knows?” asked Will.

Paige stood up. “I don’t believe that. It’s not like the US is allied with these people. That’s probably why we’re here. Someone wanted us alive but where we can’t be found and can’t get out and have no rights.”

Will looked around at the many vegetable plants. “At least we won't starve.” They were alive, and they were being well-treated, which was something.


	4. Chapter 4

Dr. Nazar led Will and Paige to a small bungalow on the east side of the palace complex. There were five such guest houses, all lined up in a row around a swimming pool and garden.

“This pool is available for you to use. I’ll see about getting you some swimwear as well as more clothes. You can also use the palace gym, and you are welcome to eat in the commissary or food can be brought to you. All these privileges will be taken away if you misbehave.”

Will rolled his eyes. Dr. Nazar stepped toward. him. “In this culture, Will, you would rather be a guest than a prisoner. Don’t abuse the regime’s hospitality.”

Will understood. When he was in college, he had read a book by the Lebanese-American journalist Anthony Shadid that talked about the hospitable and generous nature of Arab culture. Shadid had been taken prisoner while in Libya and was eventually released. Sadly, the journalist had died of an asthma attack while trying to cross the Syrian/Turkish border while reporting for _The New York Times_. Will knew that was the route they would probably need to be taking if they were to escape, and it was dangerous, rugged and isolated. Shadid had been traveling on horseback because his route was impassable via car. Will hadn’t ridden a horse since he was a boy scout.

They went inside the bungalow. It was furnished, with a TV and there was even a small kitchen. There was a basket of fruit, a coffeepot and a bouquet of flowers on the counter. There was only one bedroom and one bathroom.  
 “It’s like a hotel,” said Paige.

“There’s one more thing,” said Dr. Nazar. He put a large velvet box on the counter. Will opened it to see rows gold wedding rings engraved with Arabic writing. “You are to pick out ones that fit. They are gifts from your host. He wants to make sure your union is respected, so an Imam is going to come to marry you. That way it will be legal here, and you’ll even get an official license.”

Nazar emphasized the word license and looked carefully at Will and Paige. A legal document like a marriage license might help them get across the border if they were released or escaped. The rings would certainly help prevent any of the guards from harassing Paige, and they did need to be able to pass as converts.

“I’ve always wanted to renew our vows,” said Paige, who fingered the rings. Will looked at her, and her face was a blank. He wondered what she was thinking.

“I also have messages for you,” said Dr. Nazar. He put two envelops on the counter. One was addressed to Will and the other to Theresa. Paige grabbed the one that was addressed to Theresa and tore it open.

“Dear Theresa,” she said, “I can’t have someone with your character raising my great-grandson or being involved with my grandson. You’ve always aspired to being a whore, well now you will get to live your dream. The only reason you are even alive is out of respect for your Grandmother, although even she will be better off thinking you are dead. Sincerely, Victor.”

Will felt sick, but he tried not to show it. He opened his envelope. It was from Victor as well. Same basic message, but this one included a picture. It showed Paul and Sonny standing next to a grave, gazing at each other. “This was taken the day after your “funeral”. As you can see, Sonny has been given the freedom to move on that you refused to grant him.” read the note. Will felt weak in the knees, and Paige stepped forward and looked at the picture.

Will ran to the bathroom and threw up. Paige was standing in the door when he finally lifted his head. She came in and started rifling through the medicine cabinet.

“There are toothbrushes,” she said handing him one. “I hate the taste of puke in my mouth.”

Will brushed his teeth, and then Paige turned the water of the shower on to full blast.

“You know this whole place must be wired up with sound and cameras,” she hissed.

Will nodded. “I know. I’m so sorry Paige…you didn’t deserve this.”

Paige glared. “Neither did you or my Aunt Theresa. Don’t ever think anything else.”

Will inhaled. “Are you going to be okay with this? A phony wedding?”

Paige snickered. “It sounds like it’s going to be plenty real. Are you okay with that? You’re the one with the husband.”

Will leaned over. “I told you I was fine with whatever we had to say to protect ourselves. I can pass for straight, trust me…I mean…not that way…I mean I could pass that way…I have a daughter…if it came down to that...”

“I know what you mean,” she snapped. “I think it’s a good idea that we get that license should an opportunity present itself to get out of here and across the border, but I think we need to give them phony names. We don’t want to try to cross the border with names of people who are legally dead…if they run us through a computer…”

Will smiled. Paige’s grandfather was with the ISA, and she seemed to take after him. “What last name should we use?” he asked. “Donavan?”

She smiled. “That’s as good as any. We should use our first names. They often do that in the ISA so you won’t have to learn to respond to a first name, or so my Grandpa says. We’ll be Will and Paige Donavon.” Paige paused. “Victor must be so disappointed Ben took the wrong Donavan, but I’m glad. That little baby deserves his mother.”

Will started to feel sick again as he thought of his daughter growing up without him. Tears threatened to form, but he held them back. Tears weren’t going to help, and he was about to get married.

“Oh god, I'm sorry," she said and put her hand on his arm.

“It's okay. It's not like Ari isn't the first thing on my mind, even before Sonny or my parents. Speaking of which, I know Sharia law allows for four wives, but I wonder what the position is on a wife and a husband?”

Paige half-smiled. “When we get home, we’ll find a good lawyer to let us know.”

Paige turned off the water. “Are you feeling better?”

Will nodded, and it was true. He told himself that panic or terror or anger or despair wasn’t going to help Paige or him. They would stay calm, lean on each other and figure out a way home.


	5. Chapter 5

Will paced outside the bungalow as Dr. Nazar sat on a small garden ledge and stared at him. The two women who had been chaperoning Paige earlier were helping her get dressed. Meanwhile, several of the guards had approached Will and offered congratulations and blessings in broken English. Will warmly accepted them and strangely found himself touched by the genuineness of their sentiments. He almost felt bad for deceiving them.

“This is a little ridiculous,” said Will in a low voice. “Why all this fuss? It’s just a formality. We’re already married.”

 Dr. Nazar grinned. “Well, my friend, nobody actually believes that including me or the two old ladies helping your bride. However, they think you made a rather chivalrous gesture and are highly supportive. It seems they didn’t want to to hand Paige over to the Russian Madame. They’ve told people who’ve told people. Your wedding is the talk of the palace.”

Will blushed, but he also felt relief. These people didn’t have any ill will towards himself or Paige. They were sympathetic. They might be amenable to helping them in some way.

“You can tell them I appreciate their confidence,” Will said.

Dr. Nazar stood up. “They’ll be no vows like in a Western ceremony. You simply sign the contract, and then the Imam will say a blessing, you’ll exchange rings and that will be that.”

Will’s real wedding flashed in his mind. There had been quite a lot of fuss, and he remembered how happy and full of hope for the future he had been. Arianna had still been just a little baby.

“It requires two male witnesses. I’ll be one and the Imam will be the other,” continued Dr. Nazar.

“Good,” said Will absently, just wishing to get this over with. He was putting all the moral and religious and legal implications out of his mind.

“There’s one more thing,” said Dr. Nazar, “you must be aware that there are cameras inside.” Will looked at him. “I figured.” “Then you know that you must make sure she remains covered when you take her to bed tonight. It wouldn’t do to allow the guards and soldiers to see her.”

Will didn’t have a response to that. He hadn’t thought that he would actually be expected to do anything with Paige, but if they were being watched that complicated matters.

“Thanks,” he said glumly. “I’ll take care of her, I promise.”

In a fatherly gesture, Dr. Nazar put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “I was told a bit of your history…of what came before. So I know this isn’t easy for you, but you’re doing the right thing, especially for her.”

Will looked at Dr. Nazar. It hadn’t occurred to him that the doctor knew he was gay. “So Paige was supposed to go work for the Russian lady. What was supposed to happen to me?” Will half-expected to be told there was such a thing as harem boys or something.

Nazar smirked. “It was suggested you be conscripted into the army, but the army begged to differ. Something about handing a potentially volatile prisoner weapons. However, I’m sure we’ll find some use for Paige and you while you’re here.”

Will swallowed. The air was so dry that his mouth was dry. “Good,” he replied. “I’d like to keep busy. Paige was studying medicine. She might be able to help you. I was a journalist, but I know a lot about computers.”

Dr. Nazar seemed amused by the last bit of information. “Well, I’ll let our hosts know, but I doubt you'll be given access to the internet anytime soon.” Just then, the Imam arrived, and Will was shuffled inside the bungalow. Paige sat in the living room, dressed in head to toe white, including a lace headscarf. The two old ladies beamed and smiled at Will. Paige half-smiled at him, and Will was grateful for how smart and resourceful she was. She understood the necessity of all this, and he just hoped he could pass for straight until they managed to escape.

Although he was confident in his ability to pass, a few minutes later he was very grateful that no kiss was required at the end of the ceremony, although the two old ladies, Dr. Nazar and the Imam all kissed him on both cheeks when it was done.

Will and Paige both insisted they not be fussed over, but their hosts still held a celebratory dinner for them in the commissary. The food was excellent, and to Will’s surprise, wine was served. Several of the other "guests of the regime" attended as well as some of the guards. Will realized this was entertaining to them. The war had been raging for years, and even the workers and soldiers probably felt like prisoners most of the time.

After the dinner, they were told they could walk back to the bungalow themselves. It was only a few hundred yards from the main palace, and in full view of one of the guard towers. On the way, Paige grabbed Will’s hand. “By the way,” she said, “this is all the PDA we’re allowed, even though we’re married. I’m sure you’re as relieved as me.”

Will glanced over at her, and she seemed to be taking all this in stride. They got to the front door but before they went inside he said. “Nazar warned me to make sure you weren't seen by the cameras in a state of undress when we...” he whispered.

She nodded. “I got the same warning, except with hand signals. One of them even showed me where the camera in the bathroom is so I could cover it up while I’m showering.” She paused. “Will, we better figure out a way to make them think we’ve done something that we haven’t. We don’t want to disappoint anyone or have anyone suspect the truth.”

Will knew she was right. They seemed to have garnered some sympathy from their captors. They needed to continue to play on that. They went inside, and Will watched as Paige kicked off her shoes.

“Do you want me to make tea? It’s a little early for bed, plus I’ve had way too much sleep the last couple weeks. Maybe there’s something on TV.”

Will sat down and took off his boots, not really believing it was only around ten o’clock at night. He didn’t have a watch or a phone, and so he only knew the time from a clock on the wall. “Tea would be nice. We should probably get to work learning Arabic. Watching movies always helped me when I was in Switzerland and I was trying to learn German. Maybe there’s one on.”

Paige walked into the kitchen, and she started to boil water. “They’ve got some herb tea here, and you know what?” “What?” “Victor is an idiot.”

Will wasn't expecting that statement. Victor was evil or hateful, sure, but idiot?

“I, mean, I get it,” she continued, “I’ve read that Edgar Allen Poe story about revenge. You know what I’m taking about?” Will nodded. “The Cask of Amontillado. Revenge means nothing unless the person knows that you’re the one behind their suffering.”

“So, I get why he sent us those messages, but just think how much scarier this would be if we didn’t know why we were here. I’m getting the feeling that nobody in this palace cares a bit about Victor and his insane revenge. Holding us will be a hassle and a drain on resources. Why would the President or any of his people even agree to something this risky and crazy?”

Will thought for a moment, and he was very aware that they were under surveillance, but it would be very odd if they didn’t talk about their situation. “I bet Victor is helping them break an embargo. He’s sending them stuff the President needs but can’t get from the Russians. Victor probably sent us with a shipment of illegal…something or other. Maybe even drugs. You know he’s Salem’s biggest drug supplier.”

Paige poured the hot water into a teapot. “This tea smells really nice. You know, Maggie always seemed so kind and decent, but we dealt with overdoses at the hospital a lot. It was sad and scary…I just…” Paige brought him a cup and sat down next to him on the couch.

“I think we may be able to reason with people here,” said Will. “We need to learn the language, and maybe talk to someone in charge. What I don’t think we should do is try and escape. That just feels too dangerous.”

Will glanced over at Paige, and she looked back. It was clear she understood that if given an opportunity to escape, they would both grab it with both hands.


	6. Chapter 6

Will had a hard time getting to sleep, but he finally did. He woke up, and he carefully got out of bed so that he didn’t wake Paige. He was still processing everything that had happened, but he didn’t feel as panicked as he should have. 

He looked back at Paige, and he smiled to himself. He thought pretending to have sex would be awkward. Instead, it had wound up hilarious. Paige had gotten the giggles when he had kissed her for the camera, and her laughter was infectious. Neither of them had laughed since they were taken, so it was very welcome. 

He had kissed her a few more times, and she whispered an apology for grossing him out. He whispered back that he had no issue with kissing just sex, and that had made her laugh harder. 

“It’s just so ridiculous,” she had said. Will had then pulled the duvet over their heads, and they continued to laugh and make whispered jokes until they figured they had fooled their captors. 

All things considered, Will thought matters could be worse. They weren’t in some vicious prison, and they weren’t alone. Victor was a strange person and clearly unbalanced, but Will was thankful that he hadn’t had them killed. Even so, he wasn’t thankful enough to not be curious what business Victor was doing the regime and how illegal it was. 

Will remembered his mother’s knack for making lemonade out of lemons. Sure, she had usually gotten the lemons by herself, but she never gave up and she never gave in. 

Will was going to find out what Victor was up to. He was going to get a message out. He was going to find a way to escape with Paige. It might take time, but he had time. 

He looked in the kitchen cupboard and he found some provisions. Coffee, tea, corn flakes. In the mini-fridge there was bottled water, milk and even orange juice. 

He opened the computer that had the language software, and he absently tried to connect to the internet. Not being able to connect was going to take some getting used to.

He started the first lesson, and it started with the alphabet. 

“Begin at the beginning,” he said to himself. 

****

A couple of weeks later, both Paige and Will could carry on simple conversations with the guards and workers in the palace. Women brought them clothes and other essentials that had belonged to their grown children. One woman had cried when she had explained that the shirts belonged to her son, who had been killed in the war. A woman brought Paige some clothes that had belonged to her daughter. The daughter had been studying in England when the war broke out and didn’t plan on returning. 

They were also studying classical Arabic with the Imam so they could read the Koran. Will knew he was never going to convert, but he was curious about a religion that so many the West didn’t seem to understand. He had no use for any religion that judged him for being gay, but that certainly wasn't something singular to Islam. Yet, he saw that the people all around him seemed to take comfort in the structure and ritual. Even as a non-believer, he had come to find the sounds of the call to prayer comforting. He hadn’t yet participated, but he was thinking of it. All the better to win the trust of the people around him. 

Finally, Dr. Nazar invited him to see the general in charge of the palace. Paige wasn’t invited, so Will went alone to meet the man whose duty it was to see to the “guests” of the President and make sure they didn’t escape. The general appeared to be in his sixties and wore a great many adornments and medals. 

Will greeted him with a salaam and introduced himself in Arabic, which seemed to please the general. The man spoke in simple sentences, and he told Will that he was obligated to obey the orders of his President, and his President wanted Will and Paige confined to the palace and make certain they contacted no one. He was pleased that they had not made any trouble. 

Will got a sense that this general didn’t approve of the imprisonment. That was good. It was very good.

The general asked him if he would agree to let Paige work with Dr. Nazar, and Will replied that he wouldn’t mind at all. Then, the general asked Will if he would help them write correspondence in English and perhaps assist with some of their computer networking. 

Will agreed readily. 

“You will not be given access to the internet and you must not try and get a message out,” said the general in Arabic. 

“Yes, sir,” replied Will, proud that he was comfortable conversing in the language. So much so, he decided to take a risk. He spoke. “I know you have no choice to hold us. We will honor that, but if you were ever to be generous enough to release us, we would be most grateful.” Will thought of throwing an “Allah be praised,” but he didn’t know if the general would see it as legitimate. He did clasp his hands and bow. 

The general nodded and dismissed Will, who left on his own. It was strange to be a prisoner, and yet be able to move through the palace freely. Will went outside and headed to his bungalow, and he noticed a Russian fighter jet pass above. 

As tempted as it was to think of escape, he reminded himself that this was a war zone. Even if they safely got out of the palace and somehow managed to elude the police and the army, how would they get out of Syria?

The language software on his laptop helpfully contained map software, and he had looked at their location. The first thing they had ruled out was going to Greece, fearing Victor might have allies who would imprison or kill them. They thought Turkey was the second best option, but it was big and there was heavy fighting between their location and the Turkish border. Lebanon was to the east, Jordan and Iraq to the West.

Will arrived and Paige had set out tea for when they worked on their Arabic. He greeted her in the language but then switched to English. He told her about how they were both going to be pressed into service. 

She smiled and poured them tea. “Well,” she said. “Let’s hope we can win them over.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Eleven Months Later_

Eve Larson didn’t usually watch the news, but she was sitting in an airport and CNN was on the big TVs in the waiting area. She hoped they would have some entertainment news or something, but they were going on about a coup in Turkey. It seemed like it was serious, although she was only half paying attention. They were talking about military helicopters, the airport being shut down and thousands of people flooding the streets in protest.

She looked up to see a group of shouting protesters, and then, very quickly, she saw something that stabbed her in the heart. A young woman, wearing a headscarf, stood in the crowd. She looked like Paige.

The clip went by fast, and she told herself it was nothing and boarded her flight. Yet, the image haunted her the whole journey.

When she got off the plane, she looked up the video on CNN before she even went to baggage. She froze the video. The Paige lookalike was standing on the edge of a place called Taksim Square, watching a group of protesters, and the girl’s resemblance to Paige was astounding. It could have been a coincidence, but the girl was standing next to a young man who also looked familiar. He resembled Will Horton, another of Ben’s victims. That couldn’t be a coincidence. She examined the image. They didn’t look like they were part of the protest, only observing.

The video had been shot in Istanbul, only hours before.

Eve wondered if she was going crazy, but she really did feel in her heart that it was Paige. She immediately called her father, who was in the ISA, but he didn’t answer. She then called his wife, Kim.

“I’m sorry,” said Kim. “He’s gone on some sort of emergency trip. He left very quickly.”

“Where did he go?” asked Eve.

“Turkey of all places. As far as I know, that’s totally out of his area interest. It’s probably connected to this coup on the news,” replied Kim.

Eve hung up. She didn’t know much, but she knew she had to get to Turkey immediately.

***

There was one thing Eve loved about her father. He was consistent. Thanks to the Donavon family wealth, he wasn’t limited to what the ISA would pay for hotels. That meant she knew exactly where to find him in a city as big as Istanbul.

The Ritz Carlton. Shane always loved to stay at Ritz Carltons, and the one in Istanbul was perched atop a hill behind high walls and trees, which made it even more ideal for a secret agent. Eve had already spent too much money on her plane ticket, but booked a room and took a taxi to the hotel. She didn’t know if he’d be staying under his real name, so she checked into her room, showered and headed down to the lobby and parked herself on one of the sofas.

She was exhausted after nearly twenty four hours of flying and layovers. She flew from LA to Chicago to Zurich to Istanbul, landing in one of the first flights allowed to do so after the government reopened the airport. Yet, she knew she couldn't sleep. Not yet. 

A good looking young man wearing a hotel badge, came up to her and asked if she would like a drink.

“What do you have that will keep me awake?” she asked.

He smiled. “We make excellent Turkish coffee.”

“Sounds good,” she replied.

She opened her laptop rewatched the video. Will and Paige, or their doubles, appeared for less than fifteen seconds. In case she couldn’t find Shane, she would go to the square where they were with pictures of them. She would ask anyone and everyone if anyone had seen them.

She also wondered if she should try and contact Will’s mother. She could probably get Sami’s number from Kim, but she didn’t want to get Sami’s hopes up if it turned out to be nothing. The young waiter brought her a tiny cup off coffee and warned her not to drink the last swallow.

She smiled and signed the coffee to her room, using the name Eve Donavon.

The waiter smiled. “Ah, another Donavon. Are you here with the other Donavons?”

Eve blinked. “Yes. I’m here with the other Donavons. Have you seen them? I haven’t managed to connect with them since I’ve arrived," she asked.

“I saw Mr. & Mrs. Donovan leave with their son earlier,” he said. “They said they were going to the park.”

Kim sure hadn’t sounded like she was on her way to Turkey, and as far as she knew her unmarried little brother lived in London. Her father wasn’t the type to have another family stashed away either, at least she didn’t think so. However, she smiled. “Well, I hope they have a good time. I can wait, even though it seems like ages since I’ve seen them.”

“You can leave a message for them at the front desk, if you like.”

Eve sipped her coffee. “I might do that.”

The waiter smiled. “They’ve been here for some time, but you’ve only just arrived, yes?”

Eve nodded. “Yes. Got here on the flight from Zurich. I was lucky the airport reopened.”

“It’s been crazy here, but at least Mr. Donovan will have plenty of material for his book. Are you his sister?” asked the waiter.

Eve wasn’t sure how to answer that, but she thought it better to give a more generic answer. “Cousin,” she replied.

“Well,” said the waiter as he walked away to attend to another guest. “They should be back soon.”

Eve started to wonder if there could be that big of a coincidence. An unconnected Donovan family when Shane was in Turkey? She opened up her email and was about to send her dad a message saying she was in Istanbul when she saw them.

Paige stood there in the lobby, with Will Horton. He was holding a little boy that was probably around three.

The weren’t lookalikes or doubles. The look of shock on Paige’s face told her that. Eve stood up, ran to her daughter and hugged her before she started to feel faint and everything blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

Eve wasn’t sure what was happening, but when she came to there were two official looking people in plain black suits hovering nearby. Paige clung to Eve’s hand. One of the strangers was a woman and spoke to Paige in a language Eve didn’t understand but Paige clearly did. It wasn’t Turkish, as Eve had been hearing that spoken all day. She guessed it was Arabic. Eve also got a feeling that these strangers were maybe police, and that Will and Paige might be under their protection but also might be prisoners. 

Paige was carrying on a conversation with the female officer, and Eve got a sense something was being negotiated.

“Can you stand up?” asked the male officer in English as he helped Eve to her feet.

Paige still wouldn't let go of Eve's hand. “You’re allowed to come back to our rooms. They aren’t far. I’m so sorry I couldn’t call you right away…I wanted to but…” 

Will, still holding the little boy, looked at the officers, and he spoke to them softly in English. “We’re making a scene, and that’s the last thing we need to be doing.” 

So, they all went quickly to the elevator, which took them to a suite floor, and Paige led Eve into a lovely two bedroom suite with a kitchen. Out the window, Eve saw the Hagia Sophia and The Blue Mosque in the distance. The little boy ran into the suite and toward a toy box. 

Paige clung to Eve a little bit, and they soon sat down on the couch. 

“What happened? Where’ve you been?” asked Eve carefully. 

Paige looked at the officers, and she looked nervous. “I can’t give you the details right now. They wouldn’t even let us contact you because they’re still waiting for the DNA test results. They didn’t want to get your hopes up if we turned out to be imposters. We’re not imposters.” 

“Do you need water, Ms. Larson?” asked Will. 

“Do you have a shot of whiskey?” replied Eve. 

“We contacted Grandpa Shane,” said Paige. “He’s here and so is Uncle Drew, but they’re working on…” Paige stopped talking and glanced at the officers. 

Will handed Eve a bottle of water. “The fact that we’re alive is classified information right now. Don’t be angry with Paige for not contacting you. The only reason we’re allowed any freedom of movement is because we’ve agreed to their rules, and we have these nice ISA agents with us most of the time. They are…Shireen and Hazan.” 

Shireen, who wore a headscarf and was probably around 30 or so, smiled at Eve. “I’m happy for you Ms. Larson.” 

Hazan, who was tall, handsome and very Turkish looking, was probably in his late twenties. He shook Eve’s hand. “I’ve known your father for several years. He taught several of my training courses. He’s the best agent we have.” 

“We both know him,” said Shireen. “He handpicked us for this assignment. He wanted to make sure Paige was in good hands.” 

Eve looked around. Paige was still wearing a headscarf and clothes that looked not Western. She examined at Paige’s hands. Her nails were short and manicured, but hands seemed like they were healing from dryness. There was also a gold wedding ring with Arabic writing. Paige was wearing long sleeves, but they revealed enough of her wrist to reveal a tattoo. It was a word in Arabic script. 

وليام

“So, your cover story is you’re married? Who is the little boy? He can’t be yours, you weren’t gone that long.” 

Paige looked at the ISA agents, and then spoke very slowly. “It’s part of our cover, yes. The boy’s name is a Ali, and we…he’s probably an orphan. We found him when we…what am I allowed to say?” 

Shireen and Hazan exchanged a look. “That’s a good question,” replied Shireen. “Your mother doesn’t have clearance, and obviously we weren’t expecting her. Let me go call in to the field office. Don’t say anything more.” 

Ali approached Paige, and he crawled into her lap. Paige said something to him in what Eve realized was Arabic, and the little boy looked at Eve and smiled. 

“Ji -da," he said with a grin. 

“What does that mean?” asked Eve. 

Paige smiled. “Grandma.” She turned to the little boy. “Jida is grandma. She is my al-umm, mother. Your grandma.” 

Ali looked at Eve shyly, and he giggled. 

“Paige, baby….” 

Will stepped forward. “So, how did you find us? Shane didn’t tell us he told you yet. He said he was going to get the DNA verification, then tell you and then have a video conference.” 

Eve looked at him, still trying to figure out what in the world had happened. “I saw you two on CNN. It was just a glimpse, but I recognized you. When Kim said dad was here I knew it had to be you.” 

Will looked at Hazan. “The news cameras from the square the other day. If Eve saw us, maybe others did, too. I’m sorry.” Will turned to Eve. “They have been letting us out for a few hours each day. We were at Starbucks of all places and ran into that protest.” 

Paige smirked. "It was my first mocha Frappachino in over a year. They also let us go see The Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. I think the ISA psychologist thinks it’s healthy that we get back into the world.” 

Will and Paige shared another look, like they were in on some sort of a secret. Eve couldn’t imagine what had happened to them. Will wasn’t standing too far from Eve, and she saw that he was wearing a wedding ring like Paige’s and he too had a tattoo in Arabic script on his wrist. 

بيج

Eve was both exhausted and frustrated, and she was completely confused as to what had happened. She was jet lagged; she felt sick to her stomach but she also didn’t want to fall asleep only to discover when she awoke this was all a dream. 

Shireen came out of the bedroom. “Well, the DNA test results are expected later this evening. However, they are still in discussions as to what Eve is allowed to know. Also, Eve, you need to know it is absolutely forbidden for anyone in Salem to know Will and Paige are alive. No one.” 

Will looked upset about this last bit of information. “Even if I’m proven to be me, I can’t call my father or the mother of my daughter.” 

“What about your husband?” asked Eve. 

Will got a strange look on his face, and Paige stared at him, but Will didn’t respond to the question. 

“You look tired, Mom,” said Paige. “You’ve got to sleep. Do you have a room here? We can put you in the second room. Shireen can just stay in the living room with Hazan or something.” 

“I don’t want to leave you,” said Eve. “I have a room, but it’s a single and it faces the alley.” 

Shireen came closer to Eve. “I suggest you go there just for the night. Paige and I can come with you, and I’ll let Paige stay there until you fall asleep. In the morning, your father will be available to talk to you.” 

Paige took Eve’s hand. “You have to not say anything. It’s really important or we wouldn't ask. Trust me. Trust Grandpa Shane. If everything works out, we’ll be able to tell everyone soon enough.” 

Eve was confused and exhausted, but at that moment she was prepared to do whatever Paige asked of her.


	9. Chapter 9

Paige, Eve and Shireen had gone to Eve’s room, so Will was responsible for tucking in Ali for an afternoon nap. He did so, telling the little boy a story in English before he went to sleep. He kissed him on the forehead and went back into the common space where the ISA agent Hazan was working on a laptop while sitting on the couch.

Hazan had been a kind presence since Will and Paige had “come in from the cold” and contacted the ISA. Will had come to trust the young man, even though Will knew that he was responsible for reporting any suspicious behavior on the part of Will or Paige. The ISA, not without reason, suspected that Will and Paige were either imposters or had become radicalized and were part of a terrorist plot. On the other hand, Will and Paige had a great deal of information that could be very useful to the ISA, and so it was also in the ISA’s best interest to make them happy.

“That must have been a shock” said Hazan, “seeing Paige’s mother.”

Will sat down next to him. “I’ve grown accustomed to shocks in the last year. I’m just glad it wasn’t my mother. Eve may not be the most stable person in the world, but I think Shane will be able to reason with her. My mother, on the other hand, is going to be a little tougher to handle.”

Hazan smiled. “I still can’t get over how familiar you are with Agent Donovan. I would never call him Shane…”

“He’s was married to my Aunt Kim, and then remarried her awhile ago. I’ve always known of him and met him a few times. Stories about him were part of my childhood,” replied Will.

Hazan started typing on his computer. “I’ve got the link up. It’s early morning there, and she’s asleep, but you can still see.”

Will looked at the computer screen. Hazan had called up a link to the nanny cam in Arianna’s room. When Will had insisted on being able to see and communicate with his daughter, the ISA and NSA had offered a compromise. In a gesture that was at once creepy and extremely help to Will’s psyche, they had hacked into Arianna's nanny cam so Will could watch his daughter sleep.

He looked at the feed of Arianna sleeping, and he felt tears coming. They always threatened when he watched her. He knew that they would arrange for him to see her soon, and he knew why the secret of what had happened had to be kept for now. Still, the thought of all the time he had lost with his daughter was overwhelmingly painful.

“I’m so sorry,” said Hazan.

“You say that every time,” replied Will. “She’s safe, though.”

Will had seen so much since the escape, including the bodies children who had lost their lives to war. Ali had lost his parents, perhaps his whole family, to war.

“I want to see Arianna. I don’t see why I can’t…I mean I do see, but I want to hold her. I want to talk to her. She can probably hold whole conversations by now.”

Hazan sighed. “What if we arranged for her to come here? Your daughter? Dr. Keller thinks it would be a good idea for you to see her.”

Will didn’t want to get his hopes up, but Dr. Keller was the ISA psychologist whose job it was to make sure Will and Paige hadn’t been radicalized and didn’t have some kind of terrorist agenda. If he argued that it was good for Will to see Ari, it might happen. Still, Will had his doubts. “No one in Salem can know about us yet. That’s the rule.”

“Your mother doesn’t live in Salem. What if she went to Salem and offered to take Arianna to Disney world or something like that. Surely Gabi could use a break,” offered Hazan.

That felt wrong. Gabi should know if someone was taking Arianna so far away, but then again this was a rather extraordinary situation.

“How are we going to tell my mother? She’s going to freak out, and she’s going to want to tell my dad?”

Hazan pulled up his phone. “Mr. Donavan wants to have his wife tell her. They’ll video conference here with you, and then we’ll propose the plan to her. We hope she’ll understand why your father can’t be told.”

Will took a deep breath. There were times over the previous months when he thought he’d never see his daughter or mother again. Now, he might be able to talk to his mother soon, and he might be able to see his daughter within weeks.

He also knew that what he had seen and what he was going to testify to went far beyond just Victor’s insane revenge plan.

 

_Eight Months Earlier_

 

Will shouldn’t have been surprised that the Palace complex had an IT Department, but he was. He was also surprised when they allowed him to work on the internal network. He even got limited access to the internet, though he was blocked from uploading anything or sending anything.

The task he had been assigned to was scanning waybills and matching them with purchase orders. It was fairly tedious, and he had spent hours doing it. However, after nearly a day’s work, he found something that interested him.

Titan International had send an entire shipping container filled with kegs of Belgian Ale to the Palace. That was strange in and of itself, but the stranger part was that they had been sold through an establishment owned by Titan in Paris. Sonny’s signature was on the waybill and had signed the invoice. It must have been exceptionally good Belgian Ale given the amount of money paid.

It was odd, given that Will had never seen anyone at the Palace drink beer. A great deal of the staff and guards were observant Muslims and didn’t drink at all, and those who did drink, including the hostesses who worked in the Harem, almost always drank wine. Will had heard that there was fine Scotch for special guests, and the girls liked to drink vodka when they entertained, but that would have been a relatively small quantity.

Will wanted to know what his husband had been selling these people, and if it was worth the money. He had a sinking feeling that maybe it was drugs of some kind. The idea that Sonny, who had never wanted to be a part of Victor’s business, would have gotten embroiled in Victor’s drug trafficking sickened Will. He even felt responsible, since he had driven Sonny to Paris with his own stupid behavior.

He stood up, and he told the man guarding him that the waybill number for a shipment had been blurred. He wanted to go track down the physical copy of it to re-scan it.

The guard said fine, and he didn’t even seem to care much.

Will knew where the kegs were probably stored, and he headed there purposefully. He had become such a familiar sight on the Palace grounds that nobody took any notice of him as he found his way to a big storage room, and he asked to see the waybill. He asked one of the workers where the kegs were being sent.

“That isn’t for the palace,” observed Will. “They don’t serve this kind of stuff here, at least not that I’ve seen.”

“Nah, we’re not that lucky,” replied the soldier, “this is being delivered to a special forces unit. It’s _special_ for them.”

“Well,” said Will, “I’ve been working with accounts payable, and they want to make sure that the supplier is sending what they claim to be sending. They suspect it’s not really what’s on the purchase order. They don’t want the President to get scammed.”

The guard shrugged. “Do what you must.”

Will picked one of the kegs that was probably out of sight of the security cameras and unsealed it. He was actually looking forward to tasting beer for the first time in months.

Unfortunately, what came out of the tap was definitely not beer. It smelled harsh, like a swimming pool, and even the smell burned Will’s nose and then his lungs. He stopped the tap, and he stepped back. He coughed at bit. He looked around, fearful that someone had noticed what he had seen.

He turned around and headed back to the office.

He knew what it was. He had seen the headlines. It was chlorine, and he was sure the regime wasn’t using it to clean their pools.

They were making chlorine gas to use as a weapon. The regime had already been denounced for using chemical weapons against civilians. 

Will closed his eyes. He had wondered why the regime was willing to indulge Victor’s bizarre revenge and keep him and Paige imprisoned. Victor was supplying the regime with chemical weapons, and Will’s husband was helping him do it.

Will closed his eyes. He wanted more than anything to talk to Sonny, to ask him if he had known. He couldn’t have. Will just couldn’t believe that Sonny knew what he was doing when he had arranged those shipments.


	10. Chapter 10

Dr. Keller, the ISA psychologist, had warned them that reintroduction to their old lives and identities would be jarring, and the shrink was thinking about it being under controlled circumstances. Eve had shown up by surprise, and Paige had not been prepared to see her or deal with her mother's reactions. Although Paige was putting up a good front, Will could still see she had been rattled.

With Eve sleeping off jet lag and exhaustion, Will arranged through the hotel concierge for a sitter to take care of Ali, and then he took her out to dinner. They had spent so many months in one sort of confinement or another that they both liked getting out of the hotel when they could. The restaurant, which served Italian food, had a lovely outdoor seating area, and the weather was beautiful and clear. Hazan and Shireen sat at the next table, and they only watched to make sure Will and Paige didn't speak to anyone else but their server. 

Will watched as Paige consumed most of the bottle of wine they had ordered and then ordered another bottle.

“Are you okay?” Will asked Paige. “It must have been a shock to see her.” 

Paige sighed. “I'm glad for her. I felt so bad that she thought I had died hating her. It sickened me, even though I did hate her for a long time…that seems petty in hindsight.” 

Paige had begun to slur her words a bit. Will reminded himself that as much as they had been though she wasn't twenty-one yet. She wasn't used to drinking, and she’d been through enough trauma to break a person.

He poured himself some of the second bottle, but she still drank more than he did. He had to steady her as she got up. 

They got a taxi back to the hotel, and he left the ISA agents in the main room and took her to their bedroom. They had gotten so used one another, that they still slept in the same bed. 

As he helped her get ready for bed, Will wondered if Paige had tried to explain their peculiar relationship to her mother. How she would do that, Will didn't know. He didn't really have words to describe it. 

The ISA shrink had asked Will if he felt married to Paige. Dr. Keller was trying to figure out if Will had been radicalized into thinking he was straight, but it was a complicated question. He was as gay as before but the culture in which Paige and Will had been living didn’t see sexual attraction or romantic love as a prerequisite for a happy marriage. It also allowed for plural marriage under certain circumstances, although usually it was when a man had more than one wife rather than a wife and a husband. 

It may have been irrational, but Will couldn’t help but think his selfish behavior had pushed Victor’s rage to the boiling point. He blamed himself for Paige’s suffering, so he had to care for her and protect her. At the moment, that included helping her deal with the trauma of seeing her mother and her unusual state of drunkenness. 

He helped her slip under the covers, but she didn’t seem sleepy. From the giggles and mumbling under her breath, she still seemed drunk. 

“I’ll get you some water from the kitchen and maybe some aspirin,” said Will, fearing she’d end up with a hangover. 

He went into the living room to see Hazan there, without Shireen. 

“Shireen been called away,” said Hazan. “So, it’s just me.” 

Will figured that one of them would have had to had to go brief the local field office about Eve’s presence. With the two defacto prisoners in for the night, it wasn’t like more than one chaperone was necessary. 

“We won’t be any trouble,” replied Will. 

“Is she okay?” asked Hazan. 

“I don’t know,” replied Will as he got a bottle of water from the fridge. “As far as the wine goes, I think she’ll be okay.” 

Hazan followed Will to the door of their room, but Will turned to him. “You can’t look in. She hasn’t got her headscarf on.” 

Hazan looked at Will curiously. Will and Paige had both refused to answer ISA questions of whether their outward conversion to Islam was legitimate or whether they considered their marriage real. Both of them had, as individuals, come to the conclusion that the answer was none of the ISA’s business beyond assurances that they weren’t terrorists. 

“I’m putting one on,” said Paige loudly. “He can come in now. I want him to. I’m bored.” 

Will entered the room, but Hazan just stood in the door. Will approached Paige and she took the water and aspirin. Then, she pulled him onto the bed, laughing. 

Paige whispered in Will’s ear. “I think Hazan was assigned to you for reasons beyond just his language skills.” 

“Really?” replied Will coyly. He had had the same thoughts about Hazan. He was handsome, spoke Arabic, was a practicing Muslim and had been pinging Will’s gaydar since they met. 

“I think he’s here to un-straighten you in case you got straightened,” whispered Paige. 

Will smirked and glanced over at the handsome ISA agent. If what Paige said was true, then the ISA was basically pimping the guy out as part of his job. Will didn’t think that was particularly ethical. 

“Maybe he’s here to seduce you away from your gay husband,” Will whispered, though he knew Hazan could hear them. He shot a playful glance at the ISA agent and winked at him. 

Paige laughed at that and sat up. Hazan’s eyes shifted a little, but then he smiled. 

“I don’t think it would be fair to ask a man to choose between you two,” replied Hazan, which made Will blush and Paige giggle. 

“Well, of all the things I thought you’d say,” laughed Will, “that was not what I was expecting.”

“You sneak looks at Will, not me,” breathed Paige. 

Will sat up on his elbows. Paige was playing matchmaker, which was at once sweet and incredibly screwed up. Will already had a husband and wife. He really didn’t need a boyfriend on top of that. 

Paige beckoned at Hazan. “Come lie down with us," she giggled. 

“Paige,” said Hazan as he approached and crawled up on the bed and between them, "this is probably violating a bunch of regulations.” 

“Nonsense,” she replied, “I think your job is to see how radicalized we are and while we are radicalized, it’s not in a way that the ISA needs to worry about. We’ve already told you. We’re not plotting against anyone but Will’s in-laws. From his other marriage.” 

As she spoke, Paige crawled down and took off Hazan’s shoes. He gave them both a look that was somewhere between amused and uncomfortable. 

“You have to admit,” said Will. “We’re all on the same page as far as sending Victor to prison for the rest of his life.” 

Hazan nodded. “We can agree on that.” 

Paige situated herself among the pillows and looked at Will. “There was a boy, when we were with the rebels in the mountains. They brought him to Will, but he wouldn’t touch the boy because he didn’t think it was okay…I mean, he was something like 14. Will kind of freaked out.” 

Hazan looked at Will. “That’s not terribly uncommon where you were.” 

“Just because it’s common didn’t make it okay,” huffed Will, wishing Paige hadn’t brought that up. 

“Besides,” said Paige as she jabbed a finger at Hazan, “Will likes men not boys, and I want him to have what he wants.”

Will turned red. The incident with the young boy had been very awkward. He had been afraid that he would insult their hosts by not accepting the boy, but he still couldn't do it. Luckily, their rebel hosts just thought he was an uptight American who didn't want to upset his wife.

“I want you to kiss him” whispered Paige to Hazan. “He deserves to be kissed.” 

Will was about to protest, but Hazan leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. It wasn’t that passionate, but it had been so long that Will nearly swooned. 

“I should not have done that,” said Hazan. 

“Are you sure?” whispered Will. “Because I think Paige may be right about why you were given this assignment.” 

As attractive as he young ISA agent was, Will felt it was shady for the ISA to use him as part of Will’s de-radicalization program. 

“I’m tired,” yawned Paige. 

"You should go,” said Will to Hazan. “Although, I can't say I don’t want you to stay but I don't think any of us need the complications.” 

Hazan got up and left the room, but he cast Will a very curious gaze before he left, shutting the door behind him. 

“I knew he was into you,” said Paige sleepily as she took off the headscarf and tossed it aside. “You two should go out or something.” 

Will smiled and kissed the top of her head as she fell asleep. As tempting as the idea was, he really and truly didn't need more complications.


	11. Chapter 11

_Seven Months Earlier_

 

Will had notice gradual changes. People seemed more distracted and scared. The palace guards were fewer in number. The Russian planes stopped flying overhead. 

Then, the Russian Madame and her girls left the Palace in a rush. It had all happened so fast, one of the “hostesses” had left behind a pair of UGGs that happened to be Paige’s size. She was thrilled to get them as she hadn’t worn comfortable shoes in months. 

Will met with Dr. Nazar in the greenhouse, even though they both had the feeling they weren’t being monitored very carefully. Will thought that they probably could have walked out the front gates in full view of everyone, and nobody would have stopped them. 

“The Russians have pulled back on their military support,” said Dr. Nazar. “There are rumors that the army won’t protect the palace, and that there are rebel forces nearby.” 

Will became chilled with fear. “ISIS?” 

Dr. Nazar nodded. “That would be a good bet. Some of the remaining guards have talked about making a last stand.” 

“What about escape?” asked Will. “Is there any word of a safe direction? Lebanon maybe?” 

Dr. Nazar shook his head. “Do you know how to use a gun?” 

Will nodded. He thought of how he had shot EJ all those years ago. 

“Good,” replied Dr. Nazar. “You need to tell the guards. They’ll need all the help they can get. Also, do you think Paige might be pregnant?”   
Will blushed and looked at his shoes. “Ummm…we haven’t wanted that because of our situation. I mean, for her to have a baby while we’re prisoners.” 

Dr. Nazar took Will’s arm and squeezed it tightly. “If DASH or ISIS as you call them come, they will be less likely to kill you and make her one of their brides if she’s pregnant and you both can pass as observant Sunni Muslims. They won’t touch her if she’s pregnant.” 

Will felt a little sick and nervous. He and Paige were very comfortable with each other at this point, sleeping in the same bed but that was it. She had even said she appreciated him being gay since it was easier for her that way. 

“Do you understand?” asked Dr. Nazar.

Will nodded, but he didn't really know what to say so he changed the subject. “She can help you if there are wounded.”

“We’ll put armbands on that indicate we’re medical staff,” continued the doctor. 

After that, things became surreal. Will’s Arabic had become near fluent in the previous months, so he was able to communicate with the guards that were left that they had a common enemy. Suddenly, Will and Paige and the others really were no longer prisoners. They were part of a community that was preparing to defend itself. 

Will started to be unnerved when they gave him a rifle and ammunition and a even a phone, but he was also grateful to be able to defend himself. The phone didn’t seem to be able to make calls, but it could connect to the Palace’s WIFI. 

Will and Paige had talked about what to do if something like this happened. They took a selfie and sent an email to Shane. It was simple. It said they were alive and where they were and who was responsible. Paige gave some specific detail that she thought would make her grandfather believe her. Paige said they would try and make it to a US consulate or embassy if they managed to escape. 

They discussed sending out other emails, but both Will and Paige had begun to doubt that they would survive. They didn’t want anyone else to know unless there was a real possibility they could get out. Shane could at least give them some instructions as to what to say if they tried to cross a border. Will composed a brief note to Arianna about how much he loved her, and he asked Shane to forward to her when she was old enough, in case they didn’t survive. 

They also packed together their things, knowing they might have to flee at any moment. Will had obtained USB drives from the IT department, and he had copied the chemical weapons evidence on to them. He put one in the heel of his boot, and Paige hid one in the lining of her boot. 

They, along with everyone one else, foraged around for valuables. Paige had been given a few hundred euros from one of the older ladies who had been kind to them when they first arrived, and that woman had also invited Paige to rifle through the Russian Madame’s room where they had found a lockbox full of jewelry, including a diamond necklace and bracelet that Paige had kept and a Rolex she had given Will. 

Many of the Syrians talked of trying to get to Europe through Greece, but Will and Paige didn’t need to get there. The had no passports, but they did have an official Syrian marriage license that declared them Americans. They hoped that would be enough if they claimed their passports had been stolen. 

They had decided Turkey, while not the closest border, was probably the safest bet. They would have to avoid areas of major conflict like Aleppo and Homs, but if they got a car and went along the coast, they might have a chance. They would be among thousands fleeing, and they hoped they could disappear into the stream of people unnoticed. 

This was all contingent on them defeating ISIS when they tried to take the palace. 

Somehow, it didn’t go the way Will imagined. It began as a siege. ISIS fighters surrounded the palace. Gunfire was exchanged sporadically. Everyone worried about how long they could hold out and how much food and medicine they had. People got nervous. They made jokes. They prayed. 

This went on for several days. 

Then, ISIS used a truck to barrel through one of the main gates. There was gun battle and several people were killed. Will found himself with a small group of fighters who lay in wait as the ISIS fighters went from room to room. They waited in the general’s office, figuring the leaders would want to see who and what was there. 

Will was able to come up from behind and shoot two of the young men, both of whom weren’t much older then himself. Blood and brains got all over the beautiful Persian rugs. “They probably can’t be cleaned,” he thought absurdly. 

He knew what they were and what they were capable of: beheadings, burning people alive, the mass murder of any non-conformists. They executed gays by throwing them off roofs. Yet, Will still felt sick to his stomach having shot them. 

He also pulled his phone out of his pocket and took pictures of the bodies. Dr. Nazar had told him that there was a bounty on the head of each ISIS leader. If he made it to Turkey, these pictures could be valuable. 

Killing the leaders had proved effective, because suddenly the other ISIS fighters started to flee the palace. So did many of the guards and workers. 

Dr. Nazar and Paige found Will. Paige had their bags.  

“There’s a car with gas outside,” said Dr. Nazar. “It’s time to go.” 

“Where?” asked Will. 

“I’m from a village just North of here,” said Dr. Nazar. “My family has probably fled, but I need to find out for sure. From there, we can try for the northern border.” 


	12. Chapter 12

Will stared into the computer screen. He knew it would be tough seeing his mother’s reaction, and it was but he did the best he could to calm her down. It was hard because she kept asking him questions and wanting to know if he was okay. He didn’t want to tell her how horrible it was when Ben had taken him, how he thought he was going to die or be buried alive. He didn’t want to tell her about why he had been taken or what he and Paige had been through. 

Thankfully, Hazan was there to make sure he didn’t tell her anything more than Shane had told her. He might have been tempted otherwise, since she was firing multiple questions at him. 

More importantly, Sami was demanding that Will be allowed to come back to the states. She was threatening to go to the press and tell everyone if Will wasn’t allowed to at least come to her house in LA. She would go and get Arianna for a visit, and hopefully Arianna would be there when Will arrived. 

Will glanced over at Hazan, who clearly didn’t know how to respond to this rant on the part of Will’s mother. 

Finally, Hazan told Will to hang up. 

“I have to go,” said Will. “I’m sorry. Hopefully they’ll let us come. We’ve been waiting for weeks now…" 

Sami was crying, and then Will said goodbye and broke the connection. 

Will wondered if his mother had been told that the ISA was afraid the Will and Paige had become radicalized and feared letting them back in the United States. He supposed he could explain that when he saw her, if they let him go finally. 

Feeling a little overwhelmed, he went into his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Paige and Eve, along with Ali and Shireen, had gone to the Grand Bazaar. So, it was just him and the dashing ISA agent he had kissed the night before. 

Hazan followed Will, and without asking got on the bed next to him. 

“Are you okay?” asked Hazan. 

Will laughed at that. “I don’t think I’ll ever be totally okay again. That said, I’m glad I talked to my mom, and I hope I get to see her and Arianna soon.” 

Hazan reached up and brushed a hair out of Will’s face and then caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry you’ve suffered so much. It’s not right what happened to you and Paige.” 

Will stared at Hazan. The sympathy in his voice seemed real, but Will reminded himself that he was for all practical purposes Hazan’s prisoner. 

“It’s not right that you’re expected to charm…or seduce…or whatever…the truth out of me. We’ve told you the truth. We don’t mean any harm to anyone except the people who are guilty of war crimes or accessories to those war crimes.” 

Hazan took Will’s hand and ran his thumb up over Will’s palm. Will sighed. It has been so long since he’d been touched by a handsome man this way. Part of him just wanted to let go and be seduced. 

“Your husband is one of those people who facilitated war crimes,” said Hazan. “That must be hard.” 

Will shrugged. “He’d left me before I was kidnapped. He’d stopped loving me long before that. He’s moved on.” 

“But you must still love him?” asked Hazan.

Will sighed. That was one of those leading questions that he didn’t like. The ISA psychologist was always trying to tease out whether Will had legitimately converted to Islam and whether he believed he had turned straight. 

“I feel sad when I think of Sonny,” replied Will truthfully. “I feel sad when I think of my old life, but I harbor no illusions I’ll get it back the way it was. He’s undoubtedly happy with a man he loved even through our marriage. I’m here, and I have Paige to take care of and my daughter and Ali to think about.” 

Hazan squeezed Will’s hand. “So, you don’t believe you’re entitled to romantic love?” 

“I didn’t say that,” Will snapped, “but I feel entitled not to be seduced as part of a game played by the ISA.” 

Hazan rolled his eyes. “It’s not my job to seduce you. Yes, I was chosen because they thought you might need to see that a man can love other men and also be a good Muslim. We’ve also made no secret that we worry that you and Paige might have become sympathetic to unfortunate ideology.” 

Will snatched his hand away. “Define wrong kind. You know very well that we have no sympathy for ISIS, and we have no sympathy for the Assad regime.” 

Will had been barely aware of the various rebel groups and factions in the Syrian war before this, but now he was an expert. The truth was that he and Paige had lived among rebels that despised the United States for their lack of intervention and blamed them for the rise of ISIS. Will had seen innocent people, including children, killed by American drones and Russian fighters. He had seen an entire village filled with the rotting bodies of people who had been gassed by their own government. That’s where he and Paige had found Ali, clinging to the dead bodies of his parents. His mother had likely covered him and protected him from the gas at the cost of her own life.

Hazan shook his head sadly. “Yet, you don’t answer simple questions.” 

“The questions aren’t simple,” replied Will. “We had to conform. You know that, but as to how real the marriage with Paige is or how real our conversion was…that isn’t any of the ISA’s business. We’ve fully cooperated in your investigation. We’ve made no trouble. The only thing we’ve done is try and keep you out of our private business.”

“You don’t have to conform anymore. Yet, you both still pray five times a day. She wears the hijab. You sleep together, and you refer to her as your wife…and when your husband is mentioned you say the Prophet allows for plural marriage.” 

“We drink wine,” replied Will. 

“So do I,” said Hazan. He sat up and stared down at Will. “You’ve been through so much…it would be very natural to cling to an ideology that offered order and peace…and revenge against those who have hurt you and Paige and who orphaned that little boy that you clearly love.” 

“We don’t want revenge," snapped Will. “We want justice.” 

Will sat up, and suddenly he found he was very close to Hazan. Their lips were close. Hazan leaned over and he kissed Will. This time, it wasn’t playful or teasing. It was deep, and it felt real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, here I have created an OC love interest for Will. I know that's somewhat controversial in the world of fan fiction, but if any canon character deserved an original love interest it is Will. At least Hazan isn't a Mary Sue, or at least I hope he's not!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm much better at writing sex than violence, but this is a war story. This chapter contains a little light m/m sex and then switches to some rather ugly consequences of war.

Thinking of all the complications, Will knew he should pull away from the young man’s kisses, but his resistance failed him. He hadn’t been kissed this way by another man in over a year. Hazan was beautiful, with olive skin and green eyes and the beginning of a dark beard that scratched Will’s face pleasantly. Will didn’t know Turks could have green eyes like that. Hazan also smelled wonderful, like saffron and the jasmine soap that they sold at the Grand Bazaar.

He didn’t know if Hazan was supposed to take things this far or if this was just Hazan doing his job. At that point, Will didn’t care. “Could you get in trouble for this?” gasped Will between kisses.

Hazan peppered kisses down Will’s neck and caressed Will’s chest. “If they find out,” whispered Hazan.

Will inhaled, and they helped each other out of their shirts. The feeling on skin on skin made Will tremble. They both knew they didn’t have much time so everything went quickly, with each of them stroking each other almost frantically. Will came quickly, and Hazan shortly after that.

Will just lay there, not wanting to move or to break contact. He was half conscious but he felt tears in his eyes. After a few minutes, Hazan fetched a damp towel and came and started to gently clean off himself and Will.

“I needed that,” breathed Will as he pulled up his pants and redid his belt.

“I’m glad I could help you that way,” replied Hazan as he began to clean Will’s hand. “I needed it myself.”

Hazan ran his finger over Will’s gold wedding band, and the Arabic writing on it. Words for peace and love were engraved on the ring.

“I didn’t even know what the words meant when I put this ring on,” said Will. “I was just trying to help Paige.”

Hazan didn’t reply, but he did shoot Will a curious look. Will watched as Hazan traced the Arabic lettering on that was tattooed on Will’s wrist with his finger. Will wondered if the fact that Will had his wife’s name tattooed on his wrist bothered Hazan.

“This is new,” said Hazan. “You and Paige were still wearing the bandages when we came and met you in Arzuz.”

“We got them while we were waiting for you. We wanted to remember forever how we’d saved each other’s lives.”

Will and Paige had, thanks to some calls from the ISA to the border authorities, gotten across the Turkish border. They had very little money and were traveling with a three-year old. So, the ISA had told them to go to coastal city called Arzuz and wait to be picked up rather than try and get to Istanbul themselves, which was over a thousand miles away.

It was a beach resort town, and there had been a tattoo parlor near the hotel. They both decided they wanted a reminder of what they had been through. The Arabic writing spelled out Paige’s name, phonetically as Bayj and that tattoo spelled out Wilyam, which was how his name would have been spelled during the Crusades.

“It’s not uncommon,” said Hazan. “People like to create a permanent marker for a scar on their soul. Body art helps them do that.”

Will saw that Hazan had a tattoo of Turkey’s Star and Crescent on his arm. Will reached up and traced it with his finger. On his other arm, he had a blue star with an Islamic design. Will caressed that one lightly and then kissed it.

“Is that what these represent?” asked Will. “Scars on your soul?”

Hazan pointed to the Star and Crescent. “This one should be obvious.” He then pointed to the blue symbol. “This one is a Seljuk Eternity Sign. The Seljuks were my ancestors, and they fought against the Crusaders on one side and the Arabs on the other. They patronized art, embraced the Persian concepts of human rights and tolerance and popularized the mysticism of Sufis.”

Will got a shiver up his spine. “What scar does it represent?”

Hazan smiled. “I did my undergraduate studies at Georgetown. The Jesuits were kind and supportive, but I wanted to remember who I was and where I was from. It felt like I was being lost.”

Will closed his eyes. He understood the idea of losing yourself more than he could put in to words. The person he had been had felt so far away in the previous months, and he was just now trying to figure out what, if anything, of his old life was still his.

He took Hazan’s hand and said, “Salaam.” That was the Arabic word for peace and it served as a greeting among Muslims but also a blessing.

Hazan leaned down and gave Will a very soft kiss on the cheek. “Salaam,” he replied.

_Seven Months Earlier_

Will rode shotgun in the Ford Escape that Dr. Nazar had somehow obtained. It had belonged to some of the ISIS fighters that had been killed, and now it was theirs. It was strange, since his Will’s dad had at one time driven this same vehicle. Now they were racing through the desert on a highway, headed to the little town where Dr. Nazar’s house was and where his family had lived before his arrest.

“I’m not sure whether I’m hoping to find them or not find them. I know it’s better if they fled. They could be safe in Jordan or even England, but part of me hopes they are there,” said the doctor.

They had a plan, and it was to find any of Dr. Nazar’s relatives and then drive west and then North along the coast. There was reportedly little fighting along the coast, and it was only a few days drive to the Turkish border.

As the approached the town, they saw more and more people leaving. Several tried to flag the car down, but they were afraid to stop. Finally, Dr. Nazar rolled down the window and asked a man what was going on.

The man said that the government had gassed the town and that hundreds of people were dead. He told them not to go there. Dr. Nazar thanked him, and he turned to Will.  
“I have to go,” he said. “My family might be there…and I’m a doctor, but you two don’t need to see this.”

“You’ll need help,” breathed Paige. “I can handle it. Will…”

Will looked at her. “We’re going with you. I’ll take pictures. We can document. I’m still a reporter.”

Will pulled out the laptop that he had gotten the first week of his captivity, and he opened a document. He also made sure his phone was charged so he could photograph whatever he saw.

“Paige,” said Dr. Nazar, “can you get us all scarves? The smell will be bad, both from chemicals and the bodies.”  
 Paige pulled out three scarves from her bag, and they all wrapped them around their mouths and noses. They pulled into the town, and they found it had been mostly abandoned, but soon body after body could be seen, lying in the street.

“Would being inside a house help?” asked Paige.

“Possibly,” said Nazar, “but it would depend on the density and whether the windows were open. It doesn’t look good.”

They pulled up in front of a lovely middle class house. It looked like it could have been somewhere in the American Southwest, thanks to the desert yard. Will and Paige got out with Dr. Nazar who went toward his house.

Will saw a man’s body in the street, and he took a photograph. “There must be people on the ground who document this stuff,” he said to Paige. “I’ve heard reports like that on the news.”

Paige looked around. “It looks like this might have happened only a day or so ago. They might not have arrived or even now about this yet.”

That’s when they heard the crying. They went to a house across the street, and they could here a child crying inside the garage. It took a minute or two, but they managed to open the garage door and go inside. A car was there, with its doors open. It wasn’t running, thankfully. There was a man who had been packing up things, dead on the garage floor. There was a woman, also dead, laying in the backseat. Paige opened the door, and underneath some sort of industrial tarp was a little boy wearing a breathing apparatus.

“This is for kids with allergies,” she said to Will in English. “It must have saved him.” She then spoke to the little boy in Arabic. Will felt sick when the boy started begging Paige to wake his mommy and daddy.

“We have to take him,” said Will. “See if you can find some id. Maybe we can find some relatives.”

Will also made sure to get the car seat and what was the boys suitcase because he needed clean clothes immediately. Clearly, his parents were trying to flee but had not made it out in time.

“What’s your name?” asked Paige in Arabic.

“Ali,” replied the little boy.

“Ali,” replied Will, “your mommy and daddy asked us to take you where it’s safe.” He tried to think what he would say to his daughter in such a situation. He pushed the thought that she thought he was dead out of his mind. He couldn’t help her, but he had to help this little boy get to safety.


	14. Chapter 14

Will and Paige walked straight into the Kiriakas mansion, which was eerily empty but still furnished. A relative of Victor’s had somehow obtained the mansion, but he had been arrested for his part in the kidnapping, torture and death of Will’s Uncle Bo. 

The US Government had seized the mansion as part of that investigation, and it now held the deed. It would become the base for the Justice Department’s investigation into the rest of the Kiriakas family for among other crimes, money laundering, giving material aid to terrorists, trafficking in illegal weapons and drugs and human trafficking.

Will and Paige put down their luggage, and Ali bounded in front of them and began exploring the room. The little boy ran and looked out the window toward the back garden. Having been raised in a desert country, he had become fascinated by greenery. 

Shane Donavon soon joined them, and he looked around the mansion. Will had been made aware of Shane’s long, difficult history with Victor and this house. Will was glad to be able to help Paige’s grandfather finally make the family that had caused him so much pain over the years pay.

"The decor is ugly,” said Paige running her hand across the couch. “Maggie was always nice to me, but this furniture is atrocious. If we’re going to stay here, we need to get rid of it. I can’t stand looking at it.” 

Will looked around the living room. His first wedding had been here, and he sadly remembered how happy that day had been. Will turned to Shane, who had a look on his face that was half-amused and half worried. 

“Can we get better furniture? Just for the rooms we use while we’re here?” asked Will. 

“If it makes your confinement here more comfortable,” replied Shane, “you can order all the furniture you want. I don’t think the ISA will pay for anything better than IKEA, though.” 

“We’ll also need to empty a room so we can use that for prayers,” said Paige. “Not just us and Ali, but Shireen and Hazan.” 

Shane nodded, and approached his granddaughter and gave her a hug. Will could tell he was worried, and he was not at all comfortable with Paige’s adherence to Islam. Yet, Will hoped the veteran ISA agent also knew how hard it was to let go of a cover identity that had saved your life. 

Will and Paige had been issued new passports with their pseudonyms, and those were their legal identities just as if they were in witness protection. That meant the Syrian marriage, which matched the new documents, was legal for now. Will Horton was legally dead and therefor he would not be legally married to Sonny until his identity was restored. Whether Will felt married to Sonny was another matter. Being in the Kiriakas Mansion brought a lot of old feelings back. 

They had a passport for Ali that said he was Will and Paige’s son, though several refugee agencies were looking for blood relatives. Will had come to love Ali, and he was dreading the idea of turning the little boy over to relatives if they wanted him. He knew that it was very possible that Ali had grandparents or aunts and uncles that were desperately looking for him. Still, Will had selfishly come to hope that he would get to raise the boy alongside Arianna. He also felt obligated to Ali, since Will’s husband and in-laws had helped facilitate the murder Ali’s biological family. Will sometimes blamed himself for that because he had known Victor was a criminal and even thought there was something glamorous and dangerous about Sonny’s family. He had never truly considered the consequences of Victor’s illegal activities to innocent people. 

He didn’t know if he could ever look Sonny in the eye again without thinking of all those bodies he’d seen the day they found Ali. 

Will would be able to restore his identity once the ISA felt it was safe to reveal that their star witnesses against he Kiriakas family were alive. They had wanted Will and Paige to stay in Los Angeles, but Will’s emotional reunion with his daughter had destroyed that notion. 

Will had been very careful at first to reintroduce himself to his daughter. He had given her ice cream, and he had asked questions about her life. Sami had shown Ari a picture of Will that the little girl was familiar with, and then shown her Will. Ari had said, “Daddy” which prompted Will to hug her. 

That was all fine, but when Sami had been preparing to take her back to Salem, Will had had his first emotional meltdown since this whole ordeal started. He took Ari into his room, and he refused to come out with her. He stayed there so long that Sami missed her flight. 

It was finally Paige who he let in to room, and she gently convinced him to let go. 

After that, he refused to cooperate with the ISA until he could see Arianna often. Paige had closed ranks with Will, joining him in his silence. 

The ISA felt moving them to Salem was a better bet than them revealing themselves or remaining uncooperative and unhappy. Will and Paige were the keys to a years long investigation, so the ISA were willing to go through extraordinary measures to keep them mentally and physically secure. The only downside was that Will and Paige were not going to be allowed to leave the mansion until case against Victor was ready, whereas in LA they would have been able to move around. 

Since Gabi couldn’t be told the truth, Sami would stay in town and offer to babysit often and bring her to the mansion to visit with Will. 

So, Will need to make sure one of the bedrooms was outfitted for Arianna and another for Ali. He would also have a play area built in the backyard. 

They also would need better than what you could get at IKEA, and he could afford it. Will had provided the ISA with proof of death for the two ISIS leaders he had killed during the battle at the Palace. Just like Dr. Nazar had said, it had been wise to take pictures. Three separate governments had bounties on their heads, and Will and Paige had collected the money, which was tax free. This was how they had afforded new clothes and several weeks in a Ritz Carlton. 

Will looked out the window, and he saw Hazan and Shireen walking the perimeter. There had been discussion of bringing a large crew of security, but the ISA felt that would only draw attention to them. 

Instead, cameras were installed at all the gates and on the perimeter, and there would only be a small crew of ISA agents securing the house Hazan and Shireen’s primary duties would continue to be securing Will and Paige. 

Will looked at Hazan. They hadn’t had much chance to be alone in the previous weeks, but they had stolen a few kisses and meaningful glances. Will had not felt romantic feelings in a long time, and he felt very unworthy of a man like Hazan.

While Will was doing that, Paige had gone upstairs and inspected the master bedroom. 

“It’s atrocious,” she said. “Tacky wallpaper. I won’t sleep there tonight unless we get all that ugly furniture out.” 

Will smiled to himself. Paige had been mostly gracious and so calm through their ordeal, but she was finally fraying a bit. He thought that was healthy. 

“We can probably have the furniture hauled out tomorrow, but you’ll have to live with everything tonight. We’ve got new sheets for the beds,” said Shane. 

“We’ll need to get Hazan and Shireen their own rooms. There’s rooms just down the hall from the master bedroom. We also need the kids rooms redone, and a guest bedroom for when my mom visits.” 

Will glanced at Shane and shot him a look that hopefully said, “cut her some slack, she’s been a prisoner for over a year.” 

“Maybe tomorrow we can start stripping off the wallpaper,” suggested Will. “We’ve got time.” 

Paige smirked. “They won’t even let us go to Home Depot and get paint. We’re going to be here for months. I don’t see why they can’t move to make arrests now. We brought you the documents you need…” 

Will approached her and he gently hugged her. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We just need to give them more time.” 

She nodded, and she looked up at him. “I want them all in jail. Every last one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never realized how ugly I thought the decor at the K-mansion was/is until I wrote this chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

Will and Paige had taken the little boy, Ali, with them when they had fled the town destroyed in the chemical attack. Dr. Nazar had learned that his family escaped to the south and were thought to be in a refugee camp in Jordan. He planned on trying to join them, while Will and Paige still wanted to head north to the Turkish border. 

Unfortunately, they were trapped. They had driven to a nearby village and found a cousin of Dr. Nazar’s who had not yet left the country. The man, his wife and two children welcomed Will, Paige and little Ali into their home and treated them as honored guests. 

Internet access was sporadic, but Paige did log on and find a message from Shane filled with skeptical questions, which she answered. They took more selfies, and she explained their current situation. With the time difference, they knew Shane would not be available, but he did warn them that they were in great danger. 

What they knew could get them killed if regime or Russian soldiers found out what they knew, Victor’s orders be damned. He advised them to tell no one else that they were alive for fear of alerting the wrong people. 

Shane told them to wait until the fighting had died down and get to the Turkish border. The ISA would arrange their passage across the border. He asked how much money they had, and if they could get to one of the southern cities in Turkey and wait. 

Since so many people had fled the village, Will and Paige were soon given a small two bedroom house of their own to stay in next to where Dr. Nazar and his cousin lived. They fixed up one of the rooms for Ali, and they had begun to try and explain to the boy that his parents were in heaven. 

When he wasn’t helping Dr. Nazar barter with the local farmers for food, Will busied himself by writing on the laptop that had taught him Arabic. Strangely, his own ordeal had become secondary to the war he had seen. He wanted to document everything, all the atrocities, and tell the world. If he could do that, it would make this somehow worth it. 

One afternoon, as Will stood outside, he could hear the thunder of shelling nearby. He saw bombers fly over, and he saw smoke in the distance. This wasn’t unusual, but it always made him nervous. 

Dr. Nazar came running from next door, looking frightened.

“A group of fighters is coming to take the town,” said the doctor. “We don’t know who they are.” 

Will inhaled. The worst case scenario was ISIS. The second worst was regime fighters, given what they knew. 

Unlike the situation at the palace, there were few men in the village left to fight. They had no chance, so they would be surrendering. Will had one handgun left, but he wasn’t sure he even wanted it. He could claim to be a journalist, and then be protected under the Geneva convention but a gun made that claim impossible. He was torn. He wanted to try and defend himself and his family, but he also knew surrender was probably the best way to protect them. 

He had been studying the Koran for months, and he always prayed when the call to prayers came. He had even found the rituals comforting. He didn’t really believe, not in the way the people around him seemed to, but the motions made him feel safe. The philosophy, especially about a man’s duty to his wife, helped him cope. The Prophet did not require romantic love when it came to Paige.

In the Islamic tradition, there were only a limited number of justifications for a plural marriage. One of them occurred in a case when a woman was alone and without a male protecter. It was a man’s duty to honorably care for her if he could. That’s how Will felt about Paige. It didn’t matter what he desired or what his body craved. He was obliged to protect her and care for her in whatever way she needed. He hoped that if they got home, she would want more than he could give, but until then, he would take care of her.

He didn’t talk to Paige about how she was feeling, but she also adhered to the local culture. She behaved in every way like a wife, showing him deference that made Will uncomfortable but he also felt like it would protect them both in the worst case scenario.

One night, as they lay in bed, he started asking her about her past. He hadn’t done that at the Palace because they had been under constant surveillance, but he feared that they were both losing touch with who they had been before. He asked about JJ, how they’d met and if she still loved him. 

She told him things, little details about his cousin. He thought this was a positive sign. If they ever returned home, she needed to remember who she had been before. She asked him about Sonny, how they had met and when Will had known he was gay and then when he had known he was in love with Sonny.

“You remind me of JJ,” whispered Paige. “You’re bodies feel similar. Sometimes I pretend you’re him and I’m back home.” 

Will looked at her, and he stroked her hair. The only time he got to see her hair anymore was when they were alone like this. 

“I’m glad,” he whispered back. “I wish I was him. I wish I could be what he was to you.”

She shook her head. “Shhh…don’t say that.” 

When the trucks came, Will gathered Paige and Ali in front of their house. They waited quietly, with Paige clinging to Ali’s hand. The boy had only just started calling them mommy and daddy, in English. They were teaching him English words, as their accents were strong enough that they couldn’t pass for native speakers so they hoped it would make sense. 

The trucks pulled up, and Will stared at them, looking for some sign. He remembered the battle at the palace. ISIS flags had been everywhere. There was no ISIS flags. He wasn’t sure who they were, until he saw a Kurdish symbol painted on one of the truck. They were dealing with the Kurds, not ISIS. 

Will felt relief, and then he greeted one of the soldiers. He identified himself as a journalist. He said that he and his wife had been held as political prisoners by the Assad regime, and that they had escaped. He offered his help to them. 

One of the young men nodded. 

“We only wish to get across the border to Turkey,” said Will. “We’ll help in any way we can if you help us.” 

When they were alone, Dr. Nazar clapped Will on the shoulder. “You’ve done well. They’ll want your help with translation and with social media. They’ll want to put out propaganda. They also will expect you to fight, so it’s good you can do that.” 

Will sighed. He didn’t want to be a soldier, but if he had to be to get his family to safety he would. 

 

 _Six months later_

Sonny Kirkiakas spent the afternoon with Arianna, who he still tried to see now and again. The little girl had her mother and JJ to raise her, but Sonny still got the benefit of playing with her and taking her to the park on nice days. On this particular day, he was with his ex-boyfriend Paul, and they were enjoying their time together as well. Sonny liked the feeling of being wth Paul and feeling like a family. 

They were walking with her through the park, when Ari asked if she could see her daddy. 

“Well, I’m your Daddy,” said Sonny. He wondered if she had started to call JJ “daddy”. 

Arianna shook her head. “Grandma takes me to see Daddy.” 

Sonny felt a little sad. He knew Sami was babysitting Ari a lot these days, and maybe she was taking her to Will’s grave. 

“I’m glad she takes you to see your daddy Will’s grave,” replied Sonny. 

Ari shook her head. “Daddy gives me ice cream, and I have a brother named Ali.” 

Sonny sighed. He wondered what Sami was up to and what she was telling Ari. 

Paul looked at Sonny with sympathy, and then he approached the little girl.

“Ari,” asked Paul, “do you want to play catch with Daddy Sonny and your Uncle Paul?” 

Ari smiled and agreed, and Sonny felt relief. Yet, he still had a sinking feeling.


	16. Chapter 16

Paul Narita watched as Will’s mother loaded Will’s daughter Arianna into the car. He was sitting in a car across the street with his ex-boyfriend who had turned stalker. 

“Okay, you’re the private detective,” said Sonny, “now let’s follow and see if she goes back there.” 

Paul shook his head. This was a terrible idea. Sonny had followed Will’s mother a few times already and seen her take Arianna to the old Kiriakas Mansion. Sami would stay for a few hours and then leave with Arianna. Sonny had never gone past the gates or the security guards, but he had become obsessed at figuring out why Sami keep going inside his family’s old house, which had been seized by the federal government. 

“Maybe she bought the house at auction or something,” suggested Paul.

“It never went up for auction,” replied Sonny. “I’ve been watching for that so I can buy it back for my Uncle Vic.” 

Paul sighed as he began to follow Mrs. DiMera. “You said your uncle liked downsizing.” 

“That’s not the point,” spat Sonny. “The point is that Sami is up to something, and Arianna is confused. I think maybe Sami’s lost her mind.” 

Paul kept his eye on the road and tried to to make it look like they were following Sami, who was indeed heading toward the Kiriakas Mansion. “Ari’s probably just confused,” said Paul. “Sami probably talks a lot about Will, which is understandable.” 

“Look, there she goes. Just drive by like it’s nothing, we can park down the street,” said Sonny. 

It was true, Mrs. DiMera was being let through a gate. Paul had also seen a few security guards walking the premises. This felt like a bad idea, but he pulled over and parked. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Paul.

“I know that property like the back of my hand,” said Sonny. “I know that there’s a section of back gate that’s easy to scale and the security cameras don’t pick you up. I did it a half dozen times a teenager.” 

Paul didn’t want to think about what would happen if the new residents had installed new cameras, but he would keep an eye out for such things. They had time because they hoped to visit the house when Sami and Arianna weren’t there. So, they waited for a couple hours until Sami drove out of the gate and back in the direction from which she came. 

It was now getting dark, which would make it easier for them to slip onto the estate undetected. 

Luckily, Sonny did know exactly where to go and what to do, and they soon climbed a tree and scaled the stone wall at the very back of the property. They zigzagged through the back to avoid the cameras. They saw a back window with a light on. 

“That’s a sitting room off the kitchen,” whispered Sonny. “People tend to congregate there.” 

They were far away, but they saw the figure of a woman come out onto the back deck. Paul couldn’t see her clearly, but she was wearing a headscarf, and she seemed to be gathering up children’s toys. She went back into the house, and Paul tapped Sonny on the shoulder. 

“We should go,” he said. “The house isn’t empty. We could be seen.” 

“We need to know who Sami has been taking Ari to see. She’s my daughter, too, and I’m worried,” whispered Sonny.

Paul was about to snark that Sonny stopped acting like a dad and more like a distant uncle once Will had died. He left her behind and didn’t look back. 

“We can see if we can look through the window. I haven’t seen any security guards, but just a peek. We’re not going to find out who these people are this way.” 

They approached the back deck, and Paul was able to get a glimpse inside. There was another young woman in a headscarf, and she appeared to be clearing off a table. Just then, the back door opened again. Paul and Sonny both scrambled to hide around a corner of the house where a wing jutted out. 

Paul couldn’t believe it. The young woman in the headscarf had emerged again, and she looked shockingly familiar. She looked like one of the victims of the Ben Weston, JJ’s girlfriend Paige Larson. 

Another young woman in a headscarf came out, and she gave the Paige look alike some sort of vaping device. Then, to Paul’s deep shock, two young men emerged out the back door. One of them looked like Will. 

 

****

_Earlier that Evening_

 

Will kissed Arianna goodbye and handed her off to his mother. It was getting easier to part with her since Sami managed to bring her for hours long visits a few times a week. It wasn’t enough for Will, who planned to ask for joint custody as soon as he could, but at least he wasn’t in constant agony about it. 

Sami was going to take Arianna back to Gabi, and Will and Paige took Ali upstairs. Will read him a story in English, and they both kissed him goodnight. 

Will wanted to put the little boy in pre-school, where he would really learn English, but he and Paige couldn’t register him in person. Shireen had been working this, having found a Quaker pre-school that worked with refugees. She was checking to see if anyone at the school knew either Will or Paige, and it seemed they didn’t. However, Shireen felt Will was too much of a risk to be recognized, so she and Paige were going to take the boy to school the next day. 

“I wish I could take him,” spat Will as he and Paige put the dishes in the dishwasher. “I wish I could go anywhere. I know this place is huge, but I’m going stir crazy.” 

After they finished with the dishes, they sat down at a table in the adjacent sitting room. 

“Hazan was talking about making a run down to this Middle Eastern market near the harbor. He said it’s really isolated. I suggested he take you, but you should just wear a hat and sunglasses. He’s open. I think he wants to be alone with you.”

Will looked at her across the table, and she was grinning. He couldn’t believe it. He was closer to Paige than he’d ever been to anyone in his life, and it wouldn’t have surprised him if she was possessive or jealous, but she wasn’t. It was the opposite. She seemed to want him to be happy, even if they were behaving in all other ways like a couple.   “He’ s a good person,” continued Paige. “He understands.” 

“Sometimes I envy you the hijab,” said Will. “All you need to do is put on sunglasses. Nobody will recognize you.” 

Hazan and Shireen came in just then, and Hazan held a vaping device. In the Middle East, smoking flavored to tobacco was often traditional after dinner since many people didn’t drink. Will didn’t do it often, but he had started partaking while he and Paige were with the rebels. All the men did it while the women did the dishes. Thankfully, Will could now help with the dishes without it being a social faux pas. 

The smoking was also a nice excuse to get out on the porch and look at the stars. Paige and Shireen headed out first, while Will and Hazan lingered in the kitchen.   “We’re going to have the house to ourselves tomorrow,” said Hazan casually. 

Will grinned and shook his head. “Except for the security guards.” 

Hazan approached Will and kissed him fiercely. “It’ll be fun avoiding them.” 

Will nearly swooned, but then he broke away. “The ladies are waiting for us.” 

They headed out to the porch. Will didn’t even take a drag, as he was just enjoying fresh air and the stars. It was so nice to be out and not hear shelling, gunshots or fighter jets. 

Then, he saw them. At first he thought he must be hallucinating. Sonny and Paul were standing on the grass just off the deck. Before Will could even say anything, Hazan had tackled Paul, and Shireen had her firearm pointed at Sonny. 

“Get inside,” ordered Hazan.

Will didn’t know what else to do, so he obeyed.


	17. Chapter 17

Will sat on the edge of his bed, and he felt sick to his stomach. Paige looked out the window at the guards who were searching the perimeter of the house for any more intruders. They had all known coming back to Salem would constitute a risk, but everyone had taken that risk so Will could see his daughter. Now, the whole investigation was likely tainted and without a doubt more complicated. He didn’t feel guilty for wanting to see his daughter, but he did feel bad that this had happened. They should have been more careful. 

Worse, Will had seen Sonny. Sonny now knew he was alive, if he hadn’t already. Maybe the shock was seeing him alive or maybe the shock was seeing him. Will wasn’t sure. 

“Do you think he knew?” asked Will. They had talked about this issue multiple times over the course of their ordeal. Will hadn’t wanted to believe it, but he never would have believed Sonny to be someone who would profit from mass murder. 

Paige came and sat next to him on the bed and put her arm around him.

“He looked pretty shocked,” said Paige, “but I don’t know. I just saw him for a second.” 

Will stood up and headed for the door, but he stopped before he even touched the doorknob. They could technically put Will and Paige in protective custody in prison or house arrest far away from Arianna. If he didn’t behave himself, he could lose the thing that mattered most to him. 

“What do you think they’ll do to them?” asked Paige. 

Will turned around. “They can’t just keep them prisoner forever. It’s not like us. People will miss them. They’ll demand access to counsel.” 

Just then, Will heard crying. It was Ali. The boy was traumatized already and highly sensitive to loud noises. The commotion may have woken him. 

“I’ll go,” said Paige. “I have less to lose.’    
Paige headed out the door, and Will felt helpless as he sat there, alone. 

__

The crying had stopped, and Paige saw the Ali had left his bed. She checked the bathroom, but the little boy wasn’t there. He often had nightmares, often fearing the shelling and airstrikes that had been a part of his life for months had continued. Loud noises terrified the boy, and there had been pounding and yelling. Both Paul and Sonny had been crying out for help. 

Paige felt very bad for Paul, whom she assumed was an innocent party. She knew what it was like to be a prisoner for something that was beyond your control. 

She went down the hall and saw an open door, and inside she saw Paul Narita, handcuffed to a chair. 

Ali was there. 

“Can you bring me a knife,” Paul asked the little boy. “From the kitchen?” 

Paige wondered where Hazan and Shireen and the guards were, but she figured they were busy with Sonny, who was their real prize and was the real threat to their investigation. 

“He’s not allowed to take knives from the kitchen or anywhere else,” said Paige. 

“Mommy,” exclaimed Ali and he ran over to Paige and she picked him up. 

“You should be in bed,” she told him gently in Arabic, “and you shouldn’t talk to strangers.” 

She looked over at Paul, and he was staring at her as if he’d seen a ghost. She wasn’t sure what to tell the guy, but he looked scared. 

“They aren’t going to hurt you,” she said in English. “They’re ISA. They’re just holding you so you don’t interfere with their investigation.” 

Paul looked at her. “They can’t hold us without letting us contact a lawyer at least.” 

Paige smirked. Will and she had both insisted on lawyers but since they were being held as material witnesses, they had very few rights. It was a little known anti-terrorism provision of the law. 

“Hopefully,” she said, “the investigation will be concluded soon.” 

Ali started to fuss.

“Do you want me to take you to see Daddy and have him read you a story? asked Paige in Arabic.

Ali nodded. “Wild Rumpus!” He spoke those words in English. Will had recently read him “Where the Wild Things Are”, and the boy loved the book. 

She glanced over at Paul, and she felt compassion. He was clearly confused and scared.

“Go to Mommy and Daddy’s room, and Daddy will read you the story,” she said in Arabic. She walked him to the door and pointed down the hall. “I’ll be there in a minute.” 

Ali bounded off, resilient as always and Paige watched as he softly knocked on the master bedroom door and Will let him in. He made eye contact with her and she nodded. 

“What language is that?” asked Paul. 

“What language do you think?” asked Paige. 

Paul shook his head. “Is your name Paige? Is that who you are?” 

Paige didn’t say yes or no. She wasn’t supposed to say a word. 

“I’m sorry that this happened to you,” she said. “You are probably innocent. It’s just that this is a big deal for the ISA, and it involves a serious investigation.” 

Paul looked at her, and then he looked down at his hand, which was handcuffed to the heavy chair in which he sat. 

“Was that Will Horton with you? Or are you just …lookalikes?” 

Paige smirked. They were hardly the same people they had been. “Why did you two come here tonight? What were you looking for?” 

Paul took a deep breath. “Will’s mother was bringing Arianna here. Sonny wanted to know why. If that’s Will…that would explain it.” 

Paige was about to say something, but Shireen appeared in the doorway. 

“You need to go back to your room, now,” she said in English. 

“He didn’t do anything,” said Paige. 

“Neither did you,” replied Shireen. “You know that doesn’t matter.” 

Paige nodded, and she turned to Paul and nodded slightly, hoping he'd see that she was sympathetic. She then headed down the hall to her room. She opened the door to see Will reading the book to Ali. 

She smiled and crawled up on the big bed with them as Will continued to read the story. When he had finished, she looked at Will and said, “I think Ali better bunk with us tonight. We best not leave the room.”


	18. Chapter 18

_Four Months Earlier_

While they were in Damascus, Will couldn’t remember what it was like to be cold. Now, he’d have given anything back in the desert where it was warm. He shivered in the back of a truck, one that apparently didn’t have shock absorbers or heat. The Kurdish rebels he was with had scavenged him an old parka, but it was thin, threadbare and at least two sizes too big. It was now also covered in dirt and blood from a skirmish with some ISIS fighters but the Kurdish leaders expected that they wouldn’t see them again. Coalition forces were pounding on ISIS positions in anticipation of a planned campaign to take back Mosul.

The group Will and Paige had joined up with held their position in the mountains fairly easily. They expected that Will and Paige would simply be able to drive to the northern border in a matter of weeks.

Will looked down at his gun. Unlike the one he had had at the palace, this one was American made as opposed to Russian, even though the rebels constantly mocked him for being an American. They may not have liked America much, but they were obviously accepting weapons and support from them.

Will had expected to they would living rough in a tent, but thankfully they were based in a little mountain village with breathtaking views of the snow capped peaks and deep valleys that made up the borderlands. There was no hot water or electricity - only solar chargers for their phones and other equipment - but Paige had been schooled in how to keep a fire going in their tiny two room house, one of a few dozen built into the side of the mountain.

Will got home just as the sun was setting, when the air strikes in the distance usually subsided.

“Oh my god,” said Paige.

“It’s not my blood,” replied Will. “Khalil got grazed in the arm, but nobody was killed.” Will had repeatedly been told that the skirmishes he’d seen were nothing compared to to the “real fighting”, a sentiment that only made him want to get Paige, Ali and himself over the border sooner rather than later.

“I’ve got some water warming,” she said. “We can get you …and your coat cleaned up at least a little.”

“Is Ali asleep?” asked Will.

Paige nodded as she helped Will out of his coat. “Sit down,” she said. “You look exhausted.”

There wasn’t much furniture, just the bed that they shared and a couple of wooden chairs. Will sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his coat. “Is Ali going to be warm enough?”

“It was warm enough when I tucked him in but if it gets any colder, we can bring him here…if he doesn’t come on his own.”

Will smiled. The little boy was precocious, much like Arianna was. He tried not to miss her too much, knowing that she was loved and well cared for far away from any war zones.

Paige brought him a bowl of stew. Will inhaled the scent of the typical chicken and tomato concoction, poured over rice, that they often had for dinner. There was more food than he expected there to be in such a remote place, but there wasn’t a lot of variety. Usually they had bread, cheese and yogurt for breakfast and some kind of stew for lunch and dinner.

Will started eating, and Paige started cleaning off the coat carefully and then she hung it up to dry. She sat down next to him.

“Even if we get home,” she said, “it will never be the same.”

“No,” he said. “We’re both stronger, better people than we were. Me especially. When we get home, we’ll show Victor and everyone that they couldn’t break us.”

*****

Will had gotten up and, with Paige, had gotten Ali up and taken him down to the kitchen for breakfast like nothing had happened. Shireen and Paige had planned to take Ali to his new pre-school, and Shireen was waiting for them.

They fed Ali breakfast, and he seemed very happy and excited to go to school. He was nothing if not adaptable.

After they’d left, Will sat at the table and looked out and saw some of the guards walking the perimeter of the house.

Hazan came in, and he sat down at the table. It occurred to Will that he had had sexual encounters with all three men in the house. Moreover, Hazan was ISA and probably knew that. So, when he took Will’s hand and kissed it, Will searched for any jealousy in his eyes. Instead, Will just saw sympathy.

“He keeps demanding to see you,” said Hazan. “Your husband, I mean.”

“So you told him?” asked Will.

Hazan shook his head. “I didn’t not tell him. He took my refusal to confirm or deny your identity to be confirmation, but he’s uncooperative. The head office thinks maybe you should talk to him. You can’t tell him anything, of course.”

Will was shocked. That was the last thing he had expected them to say. He thought he’d be forbidden from seeing either Sonny or Paul.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Will, who felt his hand trembling. “I don’t know…”

Hazan squeezed Will’s hand. “Do you still love him?”

Will looked in Hazan’s eyes, and he tried to see if the question was personal or business. It was probably a little bit of both.

“Part of me will always love him,” replied Will, “but I can’t…how could I ever look my daughter…or my son in the eyes if I gave Sonny a pass for what he did. Ali was orphaned because of what Sonny did.”

Hazan stood up, and he poured himself some coffee. “The way you two took in that boy and made him your own, you deserve so much credit…he would have died if you had left him there.”

Will stood up. “We could have taken in ten more orphans. The countryside is crawling with them. I sometimes can’t sleep thinking of the ones we didn’t take.”

Will and Paige had talked about this over and over again. They had told Shane and the ISA that they wanted to help as many refugees as they could. Shane had told them that the ISA was working with the UN Council on Refugees. Those were the people searching for Ali’s biological relatives. When the case was over, Will and Paige would be able to work with the agency directly, not just to find Ali’s family but to help others as well.

“I can let you see him,” said Hazan. “You can’t give him anything. You can’t touch him. You can’t let on that he’s a target of our investigation, but it will be helpful to know if he knew you were alive. It will also be really helpful to know if he knew what he was shipping to Damascus and why.”

“He’s not stupid,” replied Will. “He may not have known the specifics but he knew something.”

“You can go into the room alone. He’s restrained. We’ll be listening,” said Hazan. “You can say no. If it’s too much…”

Will laughed at that. Too much had happened months ago. Too much was in the rear view mirror. He could do this.


	19. Chapter 19

Sonny wasn’t used to being scared, but he was. These people had told them they were ISA, but he wasn’t sure they were telling the truth. They looked like they could be terrorists, though he knew that was somewhat unfair. 

They had un-handcuffed him and kept him dead bolted into one of the old guest rooms. The window had bars on it. For most of the day, he had nothing to do but read some old books that were in the room. Then, the alleged ISA agent who had tackled Paul the previous day, had come in and handcuffed him to a chair, again. 

“We’ve decided to let you see him,” said the agent. 

Sonny looked up. “Will?”

“Yes,” replied the agent. “Will has agreed. Understand one thing, though. He’s been through traumas that you can never understand. It’s not easy for him.”  
 Sonny thought he heard an edge in the ISA agent’s voice, something that was maybe personal. It was then he really noticed how pretty the young man was, with devastating green eyes. He definitely seemed like he could be gay. 

“What happened to him? I have a right to know. I’m his husband.” 

The agent smirked at that. “That’s a thorny legal question.” 

“What do you mean by that?” asked Sonny. 

The agent didn’t reply to that, just left the room. “He’ll be in in a few minutes,” was all he said. 

Sonny fruitlessly tried to get out of the handcuffs, then gave up. Soon after, the door opened and in walked Will. Or the man they said was Will. It sure seemed like Will, just a little older and maybe more hardened. Sonny wondered what the hell could have happened? 

Will had tears in his eyes, and he brushed them away with his hands. He inhaled and tried to choke back the tears. Will did this when he didn’t want to cry. No imposter could fake that. 

“It’s really you,” said Sonny, who wanted to hug him but was handcuffed in place. 

Will approached him, and he nodded. “It’s me.” 

Will crouched down, and he hugged Sonny tentatively. It was Will. He smelled like him, felt like him. Sonny started to cry. 

“What happened?” he sobbed. 

“You don’t know do you?” asked Will. “You really didn’t know I was alive.” 

Will’s voice was cracking. 

“God,” said Sonny, “Can you have those goons undo these handcuffs so I can hug my husband?” 

Will let go, and he pulled away. “I can’t. They were part of the deal. They don’t want me to try and help you escape.” 

Will looked so sad. It broke Sonny’s heart, but it also scared him. 

“What is this all about?” asked Sonny. “How can they keep us prisoners?” 

“Because they can hold us as material witnesses, pretty much indefinitely,” replied Will. 

Sonny had been talking about Paul and himself, but he realized Will was a prisoner, too. Will looked at him, and then he brushed Sonny’s cheek. Sonny noticed that Will had a tattoo in Arabic on his wrist, and he was wearing a wedding ring. 

The ring wasn’t the one Sonny gave him. It was gold, also with Arabic lettering. 

“How’s Paige?” asked Sonny. 

Will smiled. It was a genuine smile, and he looked at his tattoo. “I forgot you lived in Dubai. How much Arabic do you know?”

“The alphabet and how to order dinner,” replied Sonny. “So Paige is alive too?”

Will said something in Arabic, and then he switched to English when he seemed to realize Sonny didn’t understand. “She’s alive. We were together most of the time.” 

“Is that why you have her name tattooed on your wrist?” asked Sonny. Will didn’t answer. So, Sonny tried another question. “Where were you?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you anything about that,” replied Will. “I’m sorry. I wish I could.” 

“You don't have to do what they say," said Sonny. 

“They’re listening. They give me access to my daughter…” 

“Do you know what they are going to do with me?” 

Will shook his head. “You really messed things up. No one is supposed to know about us, not yet.” 

Sonny felt scared all of a sudden. Something in Will’s tone chilled him. “Look,” said Sonny, “I don’t have to tell anyone. You know I can keep a secret..and Paul…you know he’s a master at it.” 

Will looked at him strangely, and he began walking to the door. “It’s not my decision,” he said softly, “but I’ll tell them to try and work with you somehow…” 

“Will don’t go…” spat Sonny, but Will was gone, shutting the door behind him. 

Sonny had no idea what to think or do, but he couldn’t help but fixating on the fact that Will had been wearing a wedding ring that wasn’t the one Sonny gave him. 

***

Will strode past Hazan, not looking him in the eye. He went straight to his bedroom and shut the door as he felt his knees buckle. He made his way to the bed and collapsed. He tried to get himself together, but he couldn’t help but weep. He was ashamed that he still loved Sonny, and he was ashamed that he couldn’t love Sonny enough to make things like they had been before. 

Will had been through so much, and he had been strong. He hated himself for feeling weak and confused. 

After awhile, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” he said meekly, though he wasn’t able to move. 

He had expected to see Hazan, but it was Paige. She came in, and she lay down next to him. She took him into her arms. 

“Peace be upon you,” she whispered in Arabic. 

The words comforted him, reminding him of all they had seen, all they had survived. 

“Peace be upon you,” he responded. “I’m sorry I’m so upset. I don’t want to dishonor myself…”

She smiled at him. “I’m proud of how well you’re holding it together.” She spoke these words in English. 

It was so strange. He realized when they spoke English, she felt like a friend, but when they spoke Arabic she felt like his wife. 

“I don’t feel like I’m holding it together,” he replied in English. 

She smiled at him. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t still love him. I’m glad you still love him, even though I know it hurts you.” 

Will felt her stroking his hair and neck. She had always been so accepting of him. She knew everything he was…everything he had done. All his failures, all his weaknesses. 

“Hazan says Sonny probably didn’t know what happened to us,” she said. “You can hold on to that.” 

Will nodded, and then there was another knock. He looked up, and he saw Hazan standing there. 

“Is he alright?” asked Hazan. 

“He will be,” insisted Paige. 

Will opened his eyes, and he looked at Hazan and back to Paige. He wasn’t at all sure her words were true, but her confidence gave him great comfort.


	20. Chapter 20

Will’s leg had been grazed by a bullet, and although it didn’t appear serious, Will said it was painful, although not as painful as the first time he had been shot. 

Paige was grateful for the medical training she’d had, limited though it was. It gave her something useful to do beyond just taking care of Ali and keeping house. Their medical supplies were limited, but she had hydrogen peroxide and clean bandages. 

She worked to clean the wound, telling Will to keep still. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have any pain medication,” said Paige. “The town medic hordes it for real emergencies.” 

Will winced. “That’s okay. I deserve it.” 

Paige rolled her eyes. As much as she had grown attached to Will, his habit of self-recrimination was very annoying. They were surrounded by some of the most evil people who had ever walked the earth. They had been kidnapped in the most terrifying and gruesome way imaginable at the behest of a snide misogynist and hypocrite. She had nearly been forced into sex slavery. They had seen countless dead, including many killed by banned chemical weapons. They had seen whole villages wiped out ISIS. Mass graves. Yet, Will couldn’t let go of the fact that he had been immature when he married Sonny and had been unfaithful. 

Paige pressed on his wound in a way that she knew would hurt. He gasped. 

“You didn’t deserve that,” she snapped. 

He sighed. “I’m sorry.” 

She started taping fresh gauze down on the wound. “You made some mistakes. You acted like a jerk. Nothing you did was unforgivable. Trust me. I forgave JJ for sleeping with my mother and covering it up for months.” 

She’d mentioned JJ cheating a few times, but when Will looked at her with a truly shocked expression, she realized she had forgotten to mention the angle with Eve. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t hear. Everyone knew.” 

Will looked at her. “I was kind of wrapped up in my own drama at the time.”

“Clearly,” replied Paige as she finished up the bandaging and handed him a clean pair of pants.

“I’m sorry you went through that. I’m really sorry,” he replied. 

“JJ was a jerk. He’s got problems. You had problems, but it’s not like you slept with Sonny’s dad.” 

Will laughed at that as he got dressed. Justin, who had been instrumental in arranging the illegal chemical weapons shipments that had killed thousands of people, hated Will’s guts. “No, I just slept with Sonny’s ex boyfriend.” 

Paige had never heard that detail. “For real? That was pretty..wow…”

Will looked at her. “I didn’t know Paul was Sonny's ex. Sonny never mentioned him…” 

“Wow…” she said again. He had already told her about how unhinged he had become in the aftermath, trying to keep Sonny away from his ex just not that his hook up had been the ex.

“I should have just let him go. Sonny, I mean,” sighed Will. “Then maybe none of this would have happened…to either of us.” 

She approached him and looked him in the eye. “Don’t do that. You know I don’t like it when you blame yourself for this. You are as innocent as me. Nothing you did. Nothing. Justifies. What. Happened. To. Us.” 

She just hoped he would get the message. 

 

****

Paige was in the kitchen helping Shireen fix lunch. 

“You went to Princeton, and then did full ISA training. Now you’re making lunch for the men. Doesn’t that bother you?” asked Paige. 

Shireen laughed. “It would if we were at headquarters, but you have no idea what women say when they are cooking and caring for babies. I’ve thwarted more than one terrorist attack with information I’ve obtained in the kitchen…and once while serving food.” 

Paige looked out the back window. Will and Hazan were chasing Ali around the yard. The little boy was laughing as Will caught him and tickled him. 

“He’s a wonderful father,” said Shireen. “Ali is so lucky you took him in.” 

Paige sighed. They had seen so many others. Taking in one didn’t feel like it was enough. “Is it wrong of me to hope his family, if we find them, don’t want him?” 

Shireen came and gave a gentle hug to Paige. “Not at all. You and Will adopted him. Blood ties don’t make family, love does.” 

Paige nodded, and she smiled. “I really do want to see him grow up. I want to be his mother for the mother he lost.” 

Shireen had been preparing trays. “I’m going to take this one to Paul, then I’ll come back and get Sonny’s.” 

Paige shook her head. “I’ll take Sonny’s to him. He knows I’m alive. What’s the difference? He might even say something to me.” 

Shireen turned to look at Paige, and she was clearly thinking this through. Then, she smiled. “Okay. Just don’t tell him anything.” 

Paige smirked. Shireen was a very clever operative, and she knew Paige would provoke a reaction and possibly information from Sonny. Paige got the tray that was meant for Sonny and headed upstairs. 

Outside the door stood a grim looking security guard. 

“I have permission to bring him lunch,” said Paige, who then stood by as the guard verified it with Shireen on his phone. 

The guard opened the door, and Paige entered the room. Sonny was not handcuffed, so the guard stood in the doorway, watching and blocking the door. 

Paige turned. “You can shut the door. He’s not going to hurt me.” 

The guard shut the door, and she set the tray down. “We’re short handed so I’m on lunch duty.” 

Sonny didn’t even pay attention to the food, instead he approached and looked at her wrist. 

“I hear you saw Will’s with my name,” she said. “We wanted to remember what we had survived together.” 

“He has a ring like that, too,” said Sonny. “Let me guess. You two were somewhere in the Arab world…and it made sense to pretend you were married because it helped you blend in or something…” 

Paige smiled. “Look how you assume it was pretend.” 

Sonny glared at her, and she smiled bigger. He was angry, and he was jealous. This was somehow hilarious to her, especially considering who his Uncle was. She didn’t care a whit for his hurt feelings. 

“I’m married to him. I was married to him first,” breathed Sonny.

Paige walked to the window, where she could see Hazan, Will and Ali still playing in the yard. “Where we were marriage equality wasn’t a thing. Even if it was, the Prophet allows for a man to take more than one wife. We assume it would allow a man a wife and a husband.” She turned to Sonny. “Although, I understand how hard this might be for you. You don’t live in a culture that’s conducive to sharing.” 

Sonny rolled his eyes. “Will isn’t religious. He doesn’t care for dogmas that tell him who he can and can’t love.” 

She grinned. “He _wasn’t_ religious, but you are right. He doesn’t care for dogmas that tell him who he can and can’t love.” 

Sonny looked really furious at that point. “You could never make him happy, and if he thinks he’s turned straight…” 

She laughed. “Last time I checked, there was no cure for being gay. Not here. Not there. It’s just that that culture doesn’t see sexual attraction as a precondition for a happy marriage.” She paused. “Do you know what it does allow for? It allows for a man, even if he’s already married, to take a wife that is in need of protection. That applied in this case, thankfully for me, because your... the plans for me were…unpleasant.” 

More than anything, Paige wanted to tell Sonny who had been behind her abduction and what the plans had been for her, but she kept her promise to Shireen. She said nothing. Sonny stared at her. She searched his face, and she didn’t think he was hiding anything. He didn’t know who had kidnapped them. 

Paige looked out the window again. “You know, if I can’t keep him happy in all ways, it’s my duty to make sure he is made happy. I see to it he gets what he needs, without any ugly jealousy.” 

Sonny came to the window, and she smiled as he watched Hazan and Will talking. He looked at her, anger and confusion on his face. She then headed to the door. 

“Enjoy your lunch,” she said sweetly.


	21. Chapter 21

_Three Months Earlier_

Will and Paige sat in a plain, grey office in in the US Consulate in Istanbul. They weren’t in the main building, which was opulently decorated with Persian rugs and chandeliers, but in an auxiliary building that was for business not entertaining. Before them were laid out plain manila folders that contained official documents. Will glanced over at Paige, who sat next to him, looking as tired as he felt. 

He reached over and squeezed her hand. 

“These look authentic,” she said. 

“They are authentic,” said Shane. “Your identities are real and legal, and they will be that unless you have your old identities reinstated. You’ll need to do that in court back in America, should you choose.” 

Paige sighed. “I suppose we will…though I don’t feel like my old self.” 

“You haven’t looked at the other file,” prompted Shane. 

Paige pushed the second file toward Will. He looked at her, and he opened it. There were three cashier’s checks. Large ones. Life changing ones. The ISIS fighters Will had killed at the Palace were wanted in three countries and had large bounties on their heads, including the United States. The ISA had arranged for the rewards to be collected. Will had been adamant that he and Paige share in the reward. He would not have fought had he not had someone to fight for and he would not have survived without her. 

“Iran is the most generous,” said Paige. “Are you sure we’re allowed to take this?” 

“Iran and the US have become the best of frenemies in the war on ISIS, so yes,” replied Shane. 

“And this is tax free?” asked Will. 

“Yes. We can arrange for a Swiss based bank accounts for you both,” said Shane. “That way if your names change back, you can still access the funds.” 

Paige picked up one of the checks. “Does this mean we can move to a hotel? I feel like a prisoner here, and Ali has no place to play.” 

Shane looked at Will. “There are a few hotels that are approved from a security perspective. The Ritz Carlton is one…” 

“Done,” said Will. “We can afford it now.” 

“Don’t blow it all,” said Shane. “If you two are careful, that money will keep you and your children comfortable for a lifetime.” 

“We’ll be careful,” replied Will. “That said, I think we both could use some new clothes, and Ali needs toys and clothes.” 

“Your handlers can take you shopping and help you move to the hotel,” said Shane. “There’s a nice mall near Taksim Square or if you want less western attire, the Grand Bazaar is nice.” 

Shane glanced at Paige, who had thus far refused to change from her modest clothing. 

“I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Bazaar,” said Paige. “It says in the guidebook that it’s a great place to get spices. Maybe we can get a suite with a kitchen…” 

Shane looked at Will, probably for some assurance that Paige’s conversion was only for show, but Will couldn’t give him one. Both of them had been conforming since the early days of the Palace, and they hadn’t once discussed whether or not it was real. For Will, he remained agnostic but he had come to take comfort in the daily rituals and to take seriously the obligations he had to his family. That included Paige, Ali and Arianna, once he was reunited with her. 

As for Paige, he hadn’t asked what she actually felt. As far as he was concerned, that was her business and only his if she chose to share it. 

***

Paige had known Will would be hurt by seeing Sonny, and she was glad she had had a chance to see Sonny and attempt to put him in his place before he could take advantage of Will’s vulnerability.

Still, she worried. She could only help Will so much. That’s why she had sought out Hazan, alone, out on the back porch. Hazan was smoking from a vape pen. 

“Where’s Will?” asked Hazan. 

“Upstairs…taking a nap,” she said. 

Hazan looked up at the window of Will’s room, wistfully, or so it looked to Paige. 

“How much of Will’s history do you know?” asked Paige.

Hazan looked at her. “I know the facts,” he said carefully. 

Paige sighed. “Will never felt good enough. Sonny’s family always looked down on him…Sonny started pursuing Will when Will was only 18 and not even out yet. When Will found out he was going to be a father, he was overwhelmed, and there was Sonny offering safety and protection but with the constant shadow of disapproval. Will ended up cheating…he was young…immature…and you know he didn’t deserve what Sonny’s Uncle did. Yet, Will still believes himself to be the bad one, even knowing what his husband and that family did. He still can’t unshackle himself from all their judgement and all their scorn. I know, deep down, part of him still thinks he hasn’t paid enough.” 

Hazan sighed. “Will gave the ISA a treasure trove of documents, including ones that implicated his husband. He’s said he’s willing to testify against him.” 

Paige shook her head. “That’s what his head says. Now that he’s seen Sonny, his heart is involved, and Will needs to know he’s better than Sonny…deserves more than a criminal from a criminal family…he deserves someone who has spent his life fighting against terrorism, not profiting from it.” 

Hazan looked at her. “You spent a few months with some of those terrorists I’ve been fighting.” 

Paige shook her head. “No, it's not the same. We were with Kurdish fighters…they were attacking ISIS and the Russians. No Turkish targets, whatever their sympathies.” 

Hazan smiled. "I know.” 

“Look,” she said. “I’m asking you to go see Will…see if you can…make him feel better.”

“Are you procuring …something for your husband, Paige?” he asked.

"That seems a rather antiseptic way of putting it. I want him to be happy, and I think he would be with a man who had some comprehension of how brave he has had to be. Someone who saw the best in him, not the worst.” 

Hazan smirked, and he shook his head. “I admire him, and he’s…attractive…but you and I both know that the heart can betray all logic…” 

Paige smiled at that. “Yours included. His as well. All I ask is that you think of the happiness that might be possible.” 

Hazan smiled. “Does he know? How much you love him?” 

Paige became annoyed. She worried that Hazan held the misconception…this assumption that she thought she could change him or somehow naively didn’t know who he was. She was most certainly not in love with Will, nor would she ever be. Romantic love had to flow both ways to blossom. She knew what _that_ felt like.

“Loving someone and being in love are not the same,” she said. “The first makes you strong…the second, I don't know.” 

Hazan smiled. “Don’t be cynical.” 

Paige took a deep breath. “I won't be if you at least keep your heart open.” 

Hazan again looked up at the window of the master bedroom, but he said nothing. Yet, there was something longing in his expression that gave Paige hope.


	22. Chapter 22

Will had been through so much. He’d been in war, suffered torture, been imprisoned. He thought he’d been stronger. Yet, seeing Sonny had turned him into the weak-willed mess he had been before, and he didn’t much care for the feeling. 

He tried to concentrate on his routine. He got Ali ready for school, and then he sent the boy off with Paige and Shireen before spending some time on the treadmill. Then, he sat down and worked on his book a little more. He was almost done, at least up until he and Paige had come in from the cold, but he figured most editors would want an ending.

He would also need to have the ISA vet the book before hit could be sent out. Still, he hoped it would be a good seller. 

He also hoped it would answer all the questions that needed answering so he and Paige wouldn’t have to constantly repeat the story. He was editing the section about finding the chlorine in beer kegs when Paige came into the room he was using as an office. 

She put a dollar down on his desk. 

“Where did you get that?” asked Will. 

“My mom gave me all the cash in her purse when we were in Istanbul,” she replied. “This is the first time I’ve needed any." 

Will smiled a little bit. “Is that for what I think it is?” 

She rolled her eyes. “You were right.” 

Will burst out laughing, though bitterly.

***

_Will dreamed he was home, with Arianna, and he was happy, but they were speaking in Arabic and he could hear the call to prayer in the background. She could understand him when he spoke to her, the way Ali did._

_He awoke with a start. Will and Paige were huddled under the blankets, and the wind whipped outside the little stone hut. The only light was from the fire’s embers, which made the room glow eerily. Ali had joined them under the covers and was sound asleep._

_Paige was awake, and she was staring at him._

_“Bad dream?” she asked._

_“No,” he replied. “It was a good dream. I was with Ari. I’m sorry it ended. It was in Arabic, too.”_

_She smiled. “I kind of like it when I do that. It means we’re fluent, I think.”_

_Will sighed. “Well, it’s a nice resume builder for both of us if we ever get back home. Bilingual journalist and sometime terrorist fighter slash terrorist seeks gainful employment.”_

_She laughed and she affectionately rubbed his foot with her foot. “I think Arabic language skills and war zone medic experience might make my med school applications pop, don’t you think?”_

_They had started becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of actually getting home. Back the Palace, they had often wondered if they would ever escape. Yet, the Kurds insisted that they would be able to get across the border and into Turkey as soon as there was a break in the fighting._

_The possibility of getting home and dealing with the aftermath. Since they had time, they had started discussing where they would live, what they would try and do for work and how they would approach their families. During the brief time they had been in contact with Shane, he had told them that there were protocols they could follow to reintegrate into their lives. He said there was help available._

_They both agreed that the details of what Ben had done, Victor’s reasoning, the sincerity of their religious conversation and the nature of their relationship was absolutely nobody’s business but their own. They both dreaded being objects of curiosity and study. Will was writing a book, but he had resolved to keep certain things vague._

_“Everyone is going to pry,” said Paige. “They’re going to think we are terrorists. They’re going to want to know how we got Ali. They are going to want to know how sincere our conversion is. They’re going to think you think you’ve turned straight…”_

_Will laughed softly. “I am picturing the look on Sonny’s face. I’ve been through torture, war, killed people…learned a new language and religion…married you to save you from sex trafficking…and I guarantee the only thing he’ll care about is whether we had sex."_

_Paige looked at him, incredulous. “Come on,” she replied. “He’s smarter than that. Doesn’t he even understand how irrelevant that is?”_

_Will sighed. There was a time when he would have thought so. “It will be his first and only question,” replied Will. “He likes to think the worst of me, and to be fair, I often met his expectations.”_

_“I’ll bet you a dollar, he’ll have put that behind him. He’ll be happy to see you, and he’ll be a more forgiving person,” she said._

_Will looked her in the eye. “I’ll take that bet.”_

_Paige looked at his sadly, and then kissed him on the cheek. “The Prophet allows for what you’ve done, how you’ve helped me. I won’t let anyone shame you for it. Ever. I’ll…I’ll do…I don't know what I’lll do but I will do something.”_

_Will inhaled and closed his eyes. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone in my corner the way you are…I mean, I was loved…my mom, my dad, my grandmas, aunts and uncles…but I was always the screw up. There was always this sense of a shoe about to drop…what trouble was I going to cause? How was I going to be my own worst enemy? It’s weird, but you and I feel like equals. So thanks for not looking down on me.”_

_She rolled her eyes. “It’s the least I can do for my husband.”_

***

Will and Paige made their way down the stairs and into the living room, and to their surprise, Paul sat on the couch that they had gotten to replace the old, ugly one. He wasn’t handcuffed, and there were no guards around. 

Paul stood up. Paige, who knew most of the complicated history about Paul, glanced at Will. 

“It’s really you?” asked Paul. 

“Obviously,” replied Will. 

“What happened to you two?” he asked. 

“That’s classified information,” snapped Paige. 

Just then, Hazan walked into the room. “It’s not going to be classified for much longer. Everything is about to break. Arrests are imminent. When they happen, Mr. Narita will be free to go.” 

“What about Sonny?” asked Paul. 

Will looked at Paul, and he looked at Paige, who had a Cheshire Cat-like grin on her face. She was really looking forward to everyone, including Sonny, being arrested. Will didn’t hold that against her, given everything. 

“Sonny’s being arrested isn’t he?” asked Paul, who had a firm grasp of the obvious. 

“We thought they were going to wait until Christmas, but then again…Will and I haven’t decided whether we’ll celebrate this year, given the circumstances. We will be fasting for Ramadan, though.” 

Paul looked at Will, clearly confused. 

“A lot’s happened,” said Will. “Obviously.”


	23. Chapter 23

Will stood next to Paige out on the back deck. Hazan was there, looking at them both with sympathy and concern. It was understandable. They had been waiting for this moment for so long, it didn’t seem real. 

“So, we can tell people?” asked Paige. 

“Yes,” replied Hazan. “Of course, like your Grandpa Shane says, you want to be careful. It’s going to be shocking news.” 

Will pulled out his phone, and he immediately texted his mother. They had had a plan for this. 

“All clear. Tell dad and grandmas.” 

He glanced over at Paige. She was texting Eve. 

“Mom will post this on Facebook pretty soon,” she said. “So, we’d best be quick if we want to enjoy the last moments of our deaths.”

Will looked at Hazan. “You mean we can go, too? I mean…go anywhere?” 

He nodded. “You are still expected to keep quiet about the details of the case. It will hit the media soon enough. Are you two ready?” 

Will and Paige shared a look. Neither one of them thought they would ever be ready. 

“Do you want to go get ice cream?” asked Paige. “I was hoping to be able to take Ali and Ari, but I’m craving ice cream right now.” 

Will smiled. Paige had talked talked a few times about her favorite flavor, cookies and cream. Turkey had great ice cream, but it was flavored with things like saffron and pomegranate. 

“We’ll try and be incognito. I’ll want to see my dad, too. So as soon as I hear from my mom that he knows and believes…then we can head over to his apartment.” Will looked at Hazan. “We don’t have a car. We’ll both need to buy cars, but in the meantime, could we trouble you for a ride to an ice cream parlor?” 

“We’ll even buy you a sundae, if you want,” chimed in Paige. 

Hazan nodded, and smiled. “Will needs a hat, and you both need sunglasses just in case. Word is going to get around fast, but you don’t want to give anyone a fright.” 

They followed Hazan into the house, and they borrowed sunglasses from some of the guards, and Will got a baseball cap. 

“It should say ISA on it, then no one would suspect the guards are ISA,” he quipped. 

“I want to drive,” said Paige. “We’ve got licenses. I haven’t driven in a long time. Will drove a lot in the last year.” 

Will sighed. “I wonder what happened to our Ford Escape. We just left it at the motel in Turkey…I did leave the keys in it. ” 

Hazan smiled. “The most perfectly apropos vehicle for your journey…or should I say escape?” 

They headed out through the front door, and they all stopped when they saw Paul Narita standing awkwardly outside. 

“He's free to go, too, right?” asked Will. 

“Yes,” said Hazan. “We even gave him back his phone, and the keys to his car.” 

Paul was staring at Will, like he still didn’t really believe it was him. Will knew he was likely blameless in the crimes that would hopefully send Sonny, Victor and Justin to prison, but Will also felt anger. Paul had spent months chasing Will’s husband, and yet managed to remain St. Paul the Perfect in everyone’s eyes. They had been friends once, briefly lovers…but Will was not sympathetic to him. He knew he should be, but he wasn’t.

“My car has been towed,” said Paul. 

“We can give you a ride to town,” said Paige. 

“Are you still living at the Salem Inn?” asked Will.

“I have an apartment…we have one. Sonny and I,” replied Paul.

Will smiled at that. It was a genuine, but nasty smile. “At least you can afford it on your own. You still can, right?” 

Hazan rolled his eyes at this. “Down boy,” he said. “We can give you are ride, as long as Will puts his claws away.”  
 Will blinked. The jealously was unmistakable in Hazan’s voice. Will smiled at him, and he felt the anger at Paul drain away. Hazan even seemed to blush. 

Will realized at that moment that maybe he should concentrate on the future and not the past. 

“Ice cream. I want to go have some before everyone starts freaking out about our return,” said Paige. “I’m driving. Paul, you can ride shotgun so you can direct me to your apartment.” 

They piled into a plain van, and Paige drove them toward the town center. “I used to come here a lot because of Mrs. Kiriakas,” she explained, “so I know the way. Is she going to go to prison, too, Hazan?” 

Hazan looked at Will, and Will shrugged. He hadn’t ever seen this side of Paige until they had come back to Salem. She had been a model of serenity and grace during most of their ordeal.

“If she’s smart, she’ll cut a deal,” said Hazan, “and remember, Mr. Narita is not stupid and most likely knows that the Kiriakas family is in legal trouble, but let’s not spill any of the pertinent details.” 

Paige kept her eye not he road, but they were going quite fast, and she was taking sharp turns. 

“It will all become public soon enough,” chimed in Will. 

Paige pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream parlor. “I guess you can walk from here, Paul,” said Paige. As it turned out, Paul and Sonny's love nest was only a few blocks from the ice cream shop. 

They all got out of the car, and Will, Paige and Hazan went into the shop. Will wasn't surprised that Paul followed them. It was only about 11am, and thus the shop had just opened and they were the only ones there. 

“It’s my treat," said Paige, rummaging through her purse. “You, too, Paul.” 

They all ordered, and sat down at the little table. 

“I used to love taking Ari here," sighed Will. 

“You’ll be able to take her here again,” replied Paige. “We’ll bring Ali, too. Ari and Ali. Both As. That's cute. Almost like it was planned.” 

Will smiled. “They’re already acting like siblings when they are together, and my mom’s even getting used to the idea of a grandson, too.” 

“What happened to you? Where were you? Where did Ali come from?” asked Paul, who still appeared a bit shell shocked. 

Paige and Will both rolled their eyes. Will had written the book so that they would not have to repeat the ugly details, and so they did have a prepared answer.

“We realize you’re curious, but that’s really not your business. The experience was traumatic, and we both have decided to only talk about it to our closest family members,” said Will. 

“Will’s written a book. He already has a publisher, and it will come out once the ISA vets it,” said Paige. “It will answer most of your questions.” 

Paul sighed, “Did you tell Sonny?” 

“Why would he do that?” snapped Paige. 

“Because they are married,” said Paul, hurt in his voice. 

Will actually felt bad for Paul, and how this must have hurt him. His immediate instinct was to tell Paul that he needn’t worry that Will wanted to get back together with Sonny. Will had had enough of prison visits when Gabi was there. Paige, meanwhile, was giving Paul the stink eye. It was strange. Paige wasn’t in love with Will, but she could get possessive about him. Several times during their journey, women had shown interest in Will, and Paige had not reacted well. Men, she always encouraged. Except Sonny, but then she hated Sonny. 

“Well… who Will is legally married to is a legally thorny question,” said Hazan. 

“What does that mean?” asked a bewildered Paul. 

“Will’s legally dead, and under sharia law he’s married to me,” offered Paige brightly as she finished her last bite of ice cream. 

Will was about to explain, but then he noticed a young police officer come into the shop. He was probably walking a beat, and he looked very familiar. It took a few seconds, but Will recognized his cousin JJ. 

He must have had a shocked look on his face because Paige started to look concerned. She turned around and saw JJ. Will saw the color drain from her face. Like her mother, she had a tendency toward fainting. He’d seen it more than once. 

He jumped to her aid, just as she fell out of her chair and into his arms.


	24. Chapter 24

_Three Months Earlier_

Paige and Will had spent the day shopping for new clothes at the Grand Bazaar and a few other upscale shops. After so long living rough, they were delighted to be in a sophisticated, urbane city where nearly anything they wanted as far as food or clothes was available. The fact that they had to be shadowed by their ISA handlers was only a minor inconvenience. 

They had bought new clothes for Ali, as well as a stuffed duck, a set of blocks and some picture books. He was playing contently on the floor, though Will couldn’t help but think that he had done so the same way in their little stone shack in the mountains. Children that age were adaptable.

On balance, though, Will was happy to be in a luxurious suite at The Ritz Carlton. On top of that, there was no shelling, no fighters overhead and no gunfire to be heard. 

Paige was trying on some of the clothes she’d bought, including a beautiful red tunic that was embroidered with black silk flowers. She wore it over black pants and with a red headscarf to match. Shane had told them they might be allowed to attend events at the consulate and meet with dignitaries to discuss the situation in Syria, so they had bought appropriate clothes for such an occasion. 

As Will watched her, he retrieved the diamond necklace that they had looted from the palace. He approached Paige and held it up. She smiled as Will fastened the necklace around Paige’s neck, and she stared at in the mirror. The tunic went up to her neck, but it was gauzy around the neckline and the diamonds looked beautiful.

“My mom is more of the diamond necklace type. I never really cared about things like this,” she said. 

Will smiled and kissed her on the shoulder. “All the more reason you deserve them.” 

She looked at him. “You should have kept the Rolex.” 

Will grinned. He had given the Kurdish fighters a Rolex, as payment for them taking in Will, Paige and Ali. He had insisted that she keep the diamond necklace, hiding it in the lining of her jacket.

“Nobody at the consulate will notice the diamonds, not with you wearing them. You’ll outshine them,” he said. 

She laughed and she blushed. “You’re so adorable, the way you flatter me, but you tend to do that when you have bad news to deliver. What’s the bad news? Is something wrong with Ari?” 

Will sighed. He had been able to watch Arianna through the hacked nanny cam that afternoon, but he had seen something that was of great interest to her. He had seen his cousin JJ in Arianna’s room, and it was very clear that he was very familiar with her, her room…and her mother. 

Will felt obligated to tell Paige, and even though she had been insisting for months that she expected JJ to move on, Will presumed that it would not be easy for her to hear that he had moved on, with of all people, the mother of Will's daughter. 

Will Inhaled, and he carefully explained what he had seen and what he thought it meant. 

She blinked, then she sighed and then she sat down on the bed. 

“You’ve told me more than one that I remind you of Gabi,” she said. “You’ve said I’m a more…stable version of her. I think you implied smarter, too.” 

Will smiled. He’d met few people in his life who were as…who was he kidding?…more book smart that himself, but Paige was one of them. More than once, he had been grateful to be in such a grim situation with someone who was so well-read and informed and could make such good conversation. She was smarter than Gabi, that was for sure. She was also smarter than JJ. 

“We don’t know how serious it is,” said Will. “I mean, if you still have hope…” 

She shook her head, and he noticed her hands were shaking. “I sometimes think about it, but do you really think that after all this, that things could go back to the way they are?” 

Will put his arm around her. “At least he’s not a war criminal…” 

She smirked at him. “I’m not sure Sonny is one. He’s an illegal weapons dealer, and he’s an accessory to the war crimes and he’s going to go to prison for it…but I’m not sure the term war criminal technically applies to anyone but the soldiers who used the chemicals and the officers who ordered it.” 

Will laughed. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” 

 

***

By the time Will gently helped Paige to the ground, she was already regaining consciousness. He was telling her it was going to be all right in Arabic while Hazan had stood up and gotten between JJ and Paige. 

“She wasn’t expecting to see you,” said Will to his cousin in English. 

JJ looked shocked and confused, which was natural. He walked around Hazan and knelt down and reached his hand out to touch Paige but she pulled back instinctively. Where they had been, men simply didn’t touch women that way, especially in public. She turned away from JJ and buried her face in Will’s arm. 

“I don’t want to see him,” she said in Arabic. “Not now.” 

Hazan pulled out his badge and showed it to JJ. “I know you’re confused, but she’s been through terrible trauma. She’s not ready to talk to you.”

JJ examined the badge, and he looked at Will.

“It’s really us,” said Will in English. “It’s a very long story, but she’s okay, or rather she’s getting there.” 

Paige was trying to stand up, but Will told her to stay on the ground for a few minutes. The ice cream clerk brought her some water. Paige was looking at JJ, and he was looking at her but she didn’t look at him. 

“Can we go home?” she asked Will in Arabic. 

“Yes,” replied Will. 

“What happened?” asked JJ. 

Will glanced at Hazan, who nodded. 

“They can’t answer your questions,” said Hazan. “They’re witnesses and have until recently been in protective custody…” 

“He’s here to make sure Will and I don’t blow up anything,” snapped Paige in English, who still didn’t look at JJ. 

JJ looked at Will, and then he looked at Hazan and then at Paul, as though Paul could provide some explanation.

“I don’t even know how to blow up anything. They never taught me how to make IEDs,” said Will to Hazan and JJ. 

JJ looked aghast. 

“Take me home,” said Paige in Arabic. 

Will looked at JJ with sympathy. “You’ll find out what you need to know, but now is not the time.” 

Will wondered what the right time would be, but he kept that to himself. He just knew he needed to get Paige to safety.


	25. Chapter 25

_Three Months Earlier_

Paige woke up, surprised that she couldn’t hear shelling or the sound of the wind whipping around the stone cabin. Then, she realized that she was in a very comfy bed in a luxurious hotel suite in Istanbul, over a thousand miles away from the war. She had woken up because Will was crying in his sleep. She didn’t want to wake him, fearing that would make things worse, but she did start stroking his arm and back. She told him in Arabic that everything was okay, and that they were safe, and that he had succeeded in getting them to safety. 

It was strange. When they were in the Palace and in the thick of the war, Will had never had nightmares. He slept soundly, but now that they were safe, the nightmares had begun. 

Eventually, Will woke up and turned over and looked at Paige. 

“Are you all right?” he asked in Arabic. 

“Yes,” she replied. “I was worried about you. You had a nightmare.” 

Will sighed. “I saw the faces of the men I killed at the Palace. I wanted to save them.” 

Paige moved to embrace him. “They would have done terrible things to both us,” she whispered. 

“I know.” 

“You saved me,” she said. “You saved all the women in the palace, everyone. You didn’t have a choice. I know you didn’t save us alone, but you had no choice. You were brave, and I’m grateful.” 

Will took a deep breath. “I never want to kill anyone again. I don’t think I could live with myself if I did and there was a choice. Some other way. I feel bad enough even though I know I did what I had to do.” 

Paige sighed. She hoped Will would never have to kill anyone again, too. 

***

Sonny sat in the living room of Victor’s old house. The room had been painted, and there was new, modern furniture, and a painting hung above the fireplace looked decidedly Islamic, with geometric patterns in blue and red. He was handcuffed, and he sat next to his father, who was also handcuffed. 

They were all going to be transferred to a federal facility, because the Justice Department did not trust the Salem PD to hold them successfully. The local police were considered too corrupt and too likely to assist in an escape.

All of them knew better than to talk to the investigators or say much about the case, but Sonny was overwrought.

Sonny had been charged with smuggling chemical weapons and drugs. Justin had been charged with money laundering. To Sonny’s horror, his mother and Maggie were also in the room, also handcuffed, and each charged with tax fraud. Victor sat in a chair in the corner, also handcuffed, looking frail and defeated. He had been charged with a list of crimes so long and complex, Sonny didn’t even know how to begin to think about them all.  
  
Except for one. There was one charge, or set of charges, that Sonny couldn’t stop thinking about. Victor was being charged with kidnapping Will Horton and Paige Larson. 

Victor had done that, he was sure, but Sonny couldn’t begin to think why. Yes, Victor had been angry at Will, but why had he done this to Paige? 

Sonny looked at his Uncle Victor. 

“Why’d you do it?” he asked clearly. Sonny didn’t care that they were in earshot of the guards. 

“I admit to nothing,” said Victor, “but I do admit that Theresa and Will were not good enough to be part of this family. It’s unfortunate that Paige seems to have been mistaken for her aunt.” 

Sonny’s stomach turned. 

The young, female ISA agent, the one called Shireen, stepped into the room. "They were being kept at Assad’s Summer Palace. It’s beautiful, from what I understand, all the most valuable political prisoners are kept there as guests of the regime. Of course, your uncle must have lost contact with the Palace when it was taken by ISIS.” 

Maggie made a cry, something that sounded either like panic or shock. Sonny looked at his Uncle, and he thought of Paige and Will and what they might have been through. 

“It’s all right, Mrs. Kiriakas,” said a voice. Sonny turned and saw Paige, still wearing the headscarf, standing in the doorway. He also noticed she had a gun in her hand. She stepped into the room. “Will and I survived. I wouldn’t wish the things we went through…the things we saw, on anyone…but we did survive.” 

Paige walked over to the chair where Victor was sitting, and then pointed the gun at his head. “You knew. You planned it. You even knew Ben got the wrong person, but you didn’t tell them. I know what you had planned for Theresa. If it wasn’t for Will’s quick thinking, it would have happened to me.” 

Sonny saw the look on Paige’s face, and he knew she was about to shoot. 

Then, he heard Will say something in Arabic. It was sharp, and it sounded like an order. Sonny turned and Will stood there, carefully walking toward Paige. They exchanged words. Will was speaking slowly, his words very measured. Paige was angry, almost frantic, but she calmed down. She finally handed the gun to Will, and she said something about Allah. Will took the gun and handed it to Shireen, then he led Paige from the room. He glanced briefly at Sonny, but his focus returned to Paige almost immediately. 

“That didn’t happen,” said Shireen sweetly as she walked from the room.

“What did they say?” asked Sonny, who knew his father spoke a lot of Arabic. 

“Will said it was better not to kill him and have blood on her hands," replied Justin. "He said it was better to think of him slowly dying in prison, having lost everything before going to hell when God decided it was his time. That seemed to be what convinced her.” 

Sonny looked at Victor, who simply looked at his feet. 

***

Will walked Paige outside the front of the house and down the front steps. 

“I just texted your mom, she's on her way. We need to call Dr. Keller,” he said in Arabic. The ISA psychologist had warned them both of potential extreme reactions, and he didn’t anticipate them seeing the person who had been responsible for their suffering. 

“I’m fine,” she said. “I just..I’m fine. You talked me down. It’s just to see him there, so smug…so proud of himself.” 

Will sighed. He didn’t know if she would have actually killed him, but he was glad to have stopped her. After everything, he didn’t want blood on her hands. 

“We need to go pray, and then we can pick up Ali at school. Hazan says we can go with him,” she said. "Maybe my mom can come, too." 

“Yes,” said Will, “we can, and then we are going to arrange a call with Dr. Keller.” 

She looked at him. “Okay.” 

Will sighed. All he wanted to do was to let his loved ones know he was alive and move on with his life, but he knew things were going to be far more complicated than that, for both of them. As if to punctuate that point, he saw JJ driving up the long driveway.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a stand-alone Aiden Jennings chapter that fits into this larger story. I've been wanting to work Aiden in the story because I hate the way he was written off, both times. So, I want to redeem him as well as Will and Paige. 
> 
> This isn't a Haiden story. Aiden's going to move on, just like Will.

“Since my return to Salem, we’ve been speaking via video conference,” said Aiden Jennings. “What brings you to Salem?” 

Aiden had been surprised on two fronts. He had not expected his ISA psychologist to be physically in Salem. He has also not expected to be summoned to the old Kiriakas Mansion, now apparently some sort of ISA base of operations, for a session. 

“I happen to have to other clients in town,” replied Dr. Keller. “I took the opportunity to come and see all of you.” 

The lawyer sat in a chair, upright as he looked at the psychologist, Dr. Keller. Keller was young, at least a few years younger than Aiden himself, but he was an expert in helping those who had been held prisoner reintegrate back into their lives. He was also an expert at making sure that prisoners did not have Stockholm Syndrome or were otherwise radicalized by their captors. 

Aiden had been insistent since his release that he remained unsympathetic to the DiMera family, and he still hoped he had convinced Dr. Keller of his sincerity. Still, sessions with Dr. Keller sometimes felt like interrogations. 

Aiden had a history with ISA. Ever since he had been recruited by the DiMeras, Aiden had been feeding information to the ISA, and over the years he had made himself a key asset in their ongoing investigation. When the DiMeras had recruited him to get close to Hope, Aiden had balked but the ISA thought it would be an ideal way to gain information. 

Aiden hadn’t expected to fall in love with Hope for real, and he had multiple times tried to convince the ISA to let him come clean. However, they had insisted he keep the secrets. His handlers insisted once he had helped the ISA put EJ, Andre, Chad and Stefano behind bars, and then he would be able to reveal the truth to Hope. 

It hadn’t worked out that way. Aiden’s refusal to kill Hope had led to an astonishingly cruel series of events that involved a lookalike of his trying to kill Hope and being killed in his stead.

So, the ISA feared that Aiden had perhaps been turned somehow during his captivity or at the very least resented the ISA for not being able to prevent his abduction and imprisonment.

So, now, Aiden sat in a room in the half-renovated Kiriakas mansion, talking to a shrink. Apparently, the federal government had seized Victor Kiriakas’s old house after the ISA has arrested the man responsible for Bo Brady’s imprisonment. 

There was fresh paint on the walls of the small office in which they were seated, but the ornate chairs they sat in didn’t match the clean, modern designs of the rest of the furniture Aiden had seen in the house. The chairs and desk seemed to be leftovers from when Victor had owned the house. 

“One of our other psychologists has visited with your son,” said Dr. Keller. 

That caught Aiden’s attention. What had become of Chase in Aiden’s absence sickened Aiden, and he would never forgive himself for not being there. 

“And?” asked Aiden, failing at his attempt to be nonchalant. 

“That doctor believes we may be able to offer Chase legal help based on the fact that Andre DiMera may have been using some sort of mind control on him.” 

Aiden drew in a breath. This somehow didn’t feel like good news. Chase had committed a terrible crime, which he remembered and which he did. If he was violated, mentally, into doing it, somehow that didn’t make Aiden feel better. 

“Is there help for him?” asked Aiden, “I mean, psychological help.” 

Dr. Keller looked at Aiden with sincerity. “It will take years of therapy. In a way, it’s worse for Chase because this means there’s no obvious way forward for rehabilitating him. However, my colleague is hopeful that with intense therapy, Chase may be able to live a normal life.” 

Aiden leaned over. “How?” 

The rest of the session was taken up with discussions of what might be done, and Dr. Keller talking to Aiden about what he felt about the situation. That was easy. He felt sickened and horrified. There was no fixing that. 

When the session ended, Aiden got up, and Dr. Keller walked him out. There were in a wing of the house that seemed isolated from the main one, but Aiden heard chanting coming from a nearby room. 

“That’s a call to prayer,” said Aiden, who had noticed several Islamic touches in the new decor of the house. Apparently, that hadn’t just been aesthetic. 

“There’s a separate investigation going on, and some of the agents and assets are based in the Middle East,” said Dr. Keller. 

Aiden peered into the room. It was clean, and plain with wooden floors and prayer rugs. There was obviously men and women who used the room because it was divided in half by a curtain. Aiden knew a bit about Islamic culture because he had once represented a Malaysian firm in an civil action and visited Kuala Lumpur while researching the case. 

Aiden moved on but as they went, a few people passed them headed toward the prayer room. Dr. Keller stopped to talk to a young man, who looked very familiar. 

“I got your text,” said the doctor. 

“Everything’s under control for now,” said the young man, who glanced at Aiden and smiled but went right past. He was followed by three others, including a young woman in a hijab, who also looked familiar. 

Aiden watched the group take their shoes off and head inside the room. There were two others. A young man with a beard, and a young olive-skinned woman also wearing a hijab and a suit that looked like the defacto uniform for female ISA agents. She smiled and nodded at Aiden, and he smiled back. 

“Am I not the only one who has come back from the dead?” asked Aiden, because he was pretty sure that Will Horton and Paige Larson were the two familiar figures. 

“You know them? Will and Paige?” asked Dr. Keller. 

“Not well,” replied Aiden, “but I had met them both. Did the DiMeras take them, too?” 

Dr. Keller shook his head. “Strangely enough, no. You should be able to read about it in the papers soon, but maybe since all three of you are here, we can perhaps meet as a group and talk about steps you can all take to rebuild your lives.” 

Aiden nodded, and he suddenly didn't feel as alone but he also wondered what the hell had happened. 

He and Dr. Keller made their way outside to the front of the house, and there he saw JJ Devereaux arguing with one of the ISA security guards. 

“I want to see her now,” demanded JJ. 

“You can’t,” said the guard, arms folded. 

JJ looked at Aiden, clearly surprised to see Aiden. 

“Mr. Jennings, the ISA can’t just hold Paige here, can they?” asked JJ. 

Aiden glanced at Dr. Keller. “I just saw her JJ. She seems well, but she doesn’t appear to be being held against her will.” 

“Can you tell her I want to see her?” asked JJ. “Just ask her, I mean…”

JJ was obviously confused and distraught, and Aiden was very sympathetic, but he had no idea what Paige’s legal status was. However, he wanted to find out. He also had an idea of how he could do that.

Aiden glanced at Dr. Keller. “I’ll see what I can do.”


	27. Chapter 27

After prayers, Paige headed upstairs, declaring she did not want to see JJ. Meanwhile, Will cornered Shireen.   
 “Where did she get that gun?” he asked. 

Shireen looked very concerned, almost distraught. Paige having a gun was a failure of all their security measures. “Not from any of the guards or from Hazan or myself. It’s not ISA issued. She says she found it in a compartment behind the headboard of your bed.”

Will sighed. “That’s not surprising,” he replied. “Victor probably has all sorts of stuff still stashed all over this house, babies or not.” 

Shireen shook her head, and then she looked him straight in the eye. “You were great. If she had killed him, it would have been very bad for her.” 

“In more ways than one,” replied Will. “She got through our whole ordeal without killing anyone. I don’t want her to have to deal with that on top of everything else.” 

Shireen looked at Will with sympathy. She was well aware of how much combat Will had seen. She walked to a nearby window. They could see Aiden Jennings and JJ talking. JJ still looked distraught. 

“He’s my cousin,” said Will. “Maybe I can calm him down before we go pick up Ali. I don’t want Paige to miss going to his school. She’s been looking forward to it. On top of that, my dad now knows I’m alive, and my mom wants me to come see him immediately. She’s pissed I haven’t been able to get on the phone with him with all that’s been happening today. 

“You need to see your father,” she said. “We’ll get you there as soon as possible. How about if Hazan takes you there now? I’ll take care of Paige and Ali.” 

Will nodded. “First, we have to convince JJ to let her alone for now. Maybe we can get Mr. Jennings to help. He’s a very smart lawyer. I wonder what he was doing here.” 

Shireen stared at him. “Seeing Dr. Keller. He’s one of our assets, has been for a few years, informing on the DiMera family. For his trouble, he got himself imprisoned for the past year.”

Will looked out the window. He felt a sudden wave of empathy. “That’s too bad. He always seemed like a decent guy.” 

“That’s what got him imprisoned,” replied Shireen. “I don’t know all the details because it’s not my case, but he’s been through hell.” 

Will took a deep breath. “Well, let’s go talk to them.” 

They headed outside to the front of the mansion, and JJ immediately approached Will and embraced him. Will hugged him back. 

“I’m glad you are okay,” said JJ. 

“I wouldn’t say okay,” replied Will, “but I am alive.” 

JJ broke the hug and looked at him. “What happened to you? Both of you, I mean?” 

Will glanced at Shireen. He still wasn’t sure what he was allowed to say. 

“Will’s my witness,” she said. “He’s very limited in the questions he can answer while the case is ongoing. Even his closest relatives don’t know the details. It’s also unfair for every person they encounter to expect them to relive the details.” 

JJ looked at Aiden. “I’m a police officer. An officer of the court. I can be trusted.” 

“It doesn’t work that way,” said Shireen kindly. “Paige isn’t ready to see you or explain anything. She might get there, but if you want it sooner rather than later you’ll giver her her space.” 

“Excuse me, Agent…” said Aiden, prompting for her name. 

“Agent T,” said Shireen. “We don’t use last names. You know that.” 

“Maybe if you agree to take a message to Paige, JJ will be more comfortable leaving.” 

Shireen nodded, and she reached into her jacket and pulled out a small reporter’s notebook. Will smiled. reporters and spies weren’t that different, after all. Shireen let JJ write the note, which he handed back to her. 

“I have a phone,” said Will. “Let me give you my number. You can call and text. I can’t make her see you, but I can tell you how she is.” 

Will gave JJ his number. 

“Gabi doesn’t know, does she?” asked JJ. “That you’re alive?” 

Will shook his head. “My dad only found out this morning. I haven’t even spoken to him. We just got permission to tell. We’ve been virtual prisoners here.” 

JJ nodded. “Can I tell her, Gabi I mean?” 

Will nodded. “Tell her I’ve missed her, and I’m sorry I couldn't tell her right away. Thank her for caring for Ari.” 

JJ agreed, and as he left, he looked up and Will turned. Paige was standing in the window, looking almost like a ghost. Except, just like Will, she was real. 

**

That afternoon, Will finally had his reunion with his father, and Arianna was there too. It had been emotional, but then turned strangely calm. It was odd, since Will couldn’t really say much about what had happened beyond that he and Paige had been in Syria and their escape had been long and dangerous. 

They sat in Lucas’s apartment while Ari played with some toys. Will recognized them from when he was a kid. Obviously, Lucas has saved them. 

“Ari has been talking about a new brother she has who is from Syria. I thought he was an imaginary friend,” said Lucas. 

“No,” replied Will. “Paige and I found him….alone and orphaned. We took him in. We would have done it anyway, but having him helped us look like a family. It made it easier to get around and it’s not easy to get around in a war zone. I should text Paige. Maybe she can bring him by.” 

Lucas nodded. “I’d like to meet him. Do you think you will be keeping him? Permanently?” The skepticism in Lucas’s voice was not lost of Will. Will wondered what Sami had said about the whole marriage thing. Lucas had eyeballed Will’s wedding ring more than once. 

Will shrugged. “The Red Crescent and the UN’s refugee agency are both looking for relatives that might be able to take him. There’s been so many civilian deaths…they might not find any. I”d like him to know who his family was…but if they can’t find anyone, Paige and I will keep him…if we can.” 

Lucas seemed skeptical about about this, but he seemed to know better than to say anything. 

“Your mom says you saw Sonny. He must be overjoyed,” said Lucas carefully. 

“I wouldn’t say that, but I think he’s glad I’m alive,” said Will cooly. 

“Which reminds me,” said Lucas. “I haven’t heard from Adrienne. Do you think Sonny has told her?” 

Will blinked, and her realized that his dad did not know that his fiancé had been arrested. Will took a deep breath, and he stood up and called to Hazan, who was in the kitchen. He asked, in Arabic, if he could tell Lucas about Adrienne. 

Hazan emerged from the kitchen. “Yes,” he said. 

Will turned to his father. “Adrienne, Sonny and most of the Kiriakas family have been arrested. They are being transferred to a federal facility in Chicago because the ISA doesn’t trust the local authorities here.” 

Hazan looked at his phone. “Mr. Horton, your fiancé is only being charged with tax fraud. She’s being processed and will likely be out on bail this afternoon.” 

Will looked at his father. “You need to get her a really good lawyer.”


	28. Chapter 28

Will and Paige watched Ali and Ari play in a park near Lucas’s house. Lucas stood nearby, as did Hazan and Shireen, who were still shadowing Will and Paige at the request of the ISA. Will and Paige could have objected, but they didn’t mind. They agreed it was a positive thing to have government agents around to protect them from curious questions. 

“I should probably take Arianna home,” said Lucas. “Gabi likes her there when she gets home from work. Maybe you want to be there, too, Will?” 

Will shook his head. “Gabi should be told first. I don’t want to shock her.” Will paused. “I also don’t want to ever go back to that apartment….” 

Will swallowed. He’d not told his father that he remembered the time he’d been a “corpse”, and he really didn’t want to talk about it. 

Arianna and Ali bounded near to them, both of them chattering. 

“Ali wants to see my room,” said Arianna. 

Will sighed. “I think we can arrange that, but maybe not today.” 

“I think that would be fine," said Lucas. "We can all go. It'll be good for you to see your old place. You had so many happy times there." 

The two children reacted with delight to this, and Will started to feel a little queasy. 

Paige smiled. “I can take them, with Grandpa Lucas. It’ll be fine. Daddy Will will stay in the car with Hazan. I think that will be best." 

Shireen stepped forward. “I think that is a plan, as they say.” 

Lucas looked at Will. “I’m just not…ready to go there, but Paige can take Ali up and bring him back.” 

Lucas nodded carefully, and Will wondered if it would always be like this, always having to answer questions. He hated it, even though he was happy to be home. He was just going to have to learn to evade. He was grateful that Paige had come up with a solution. 

A few minutes later, Will found himself looking up at his old apartment building while sitting next to Hazan, who was in the driver’s seat. 

“Are you okay?” asked Hazan, who reached over and squeezed Will’s hand. “It's not easy coming in from the cold, as they say.” 

“I don’t think you can ever prepare for something like this,” replied Will. “I just want it to be over. I want everyone to find out…and not freak out.” 

Hazan sighed. “I have hear they will approve your book soon. If they do, then you won’t have to answer all the questions. Everyone will know most of it.” 

Will smirked. He wasn’t sure his mom and dad wanted to know everything. Maybe the needed to know, but they didn’t want to know. 

“You need to retreat if it gets too much,” said Hazan. “Go back to the house…or wherever you and Paige decide to live.” 

Will smiled at Hazan. He was so understanding about Paige, and how close he felt to her. Will wasn’t sure many guys would get it. Dr. Keller had told them they didn’t have to separate if they didn’t want to. The psychologist had told them it was unlikely either of them would have mentally made it through without the other. They were each other’s support system. It wasn’t romantic, but it was a very real bond.

“I think it’s amazing,” said Hazan. “The way you’ve cared for her…it’s really…attractive.” 

Will blushed a little. “I did what anyone would do…” 

Hazan quieted him by leaning over and kissing him. It got heated very quickly, and they instinctively both stopped before they couldn't stop. 

“Do you think your wife would mind if I took you out? You know, dinner and a movie?” asked Hazan, catching his breath. 

Will laughed. “Mind? She’ll be ecstatic.” 

Hazan, who was usually so unflappable, seemed to blush at that. “It’s always good if the wife approves…so…are you going to stay with her?” 

Will took Hazan's hand. “For as long as she needs me. I promised to care for her and protect her. The Prophet doesn’t require romantic love from me…or even fidelity, but I promised to care for her and protect her. It’s funny. The marriage everyone will think of as fake is the one where I actually was able to keep my promises…with Sonny…I failed. Anyway, I hope that one day Paige will be strong enough and whole enough to want a husband who can be in love with her. She deserves it. Until then, I"ll be there for her.” 

Hazan leaned over and kissed Will on the cheek. “I find that very sexy for some reason. So, maybe that movie?” 

Will nodded. Then he realized he had no idea what movies were playing.  
****

Paige had done her best to let go of the idea of JJ. She tried to be happy that he had moved on, and it was a great bit of luck that Will knew the woman he had moved on with and said she deserved to be happy. Paige respected Will’s affection for Gabi, though Paige wasn't so sure she respected Gabi very much. Will had told her a few stories that made Paige call Gabi’s judgement into question. Then there was the matter of the murder she had been convicted of. 

In any case, Paige was happy to see the apartment where JJ was living. She followed the children into the bedroom and watched as Ari showed her new brother some her stuffed animals. It was an adorable scene, and it made Paige very happy. 

She knew she couldn't stay long, but then she thought why not? Maybe she could ask Lucas to give her and Ali a ride home so Will and Hazan wouldn’t have to sit in the van. Shireen was waiting in the hall to make sure Gabi didn't come in and see Paige without being told about her first.

She went out to the living room where she came upon an awkward scene. 

There was a young man, a good looking young man, in a towel. Lucas was staring at him and was muttering an apology. 

"I didn't know…Gabi is supposed to be a work,” stuttered Lucas. 

At that moment, Gabi emerged from the other bedroom, dressed in a robe. One thing was clear, the young man was not JJ. He turned around, and she recognized him as Chad DiMera. 

Chad gasped when he saw Paige. Gabi turned and all the color drained from her face. 

“You two look like you’ve seen a ghost,” said Paige. “I guess you haven't been checking your phone this afternoon, Gabi.”

Lucas stepped forward. “Paige...maybe we need to go. Gabi, I'll talk to you later. There’s a lot to tell you.” 

“Someone tell me when everyone is decent, and I can bring the kids out," said Paige, cooling turning on her heel and heading back into the bedroom. 

“This complicates things," she muttered to herself before smiling at the kids and pretending everything was just fine, and she wasn’t boiling with rage on behalf of JJ.


	29. Chapter 29

Aiden had not been able to deliver the note to Paige before she had left, and since he had little else to do, Aiden sat in the living room of the former Kiriakas Mansion and read a copy of Foreign Policy Magazine that happened to be on the coffee table. He was reading the cover story about the war in Syria when all of a sudden, Paige burst into the room. Holding a little boy’s hand, she strode through the room almost as if Aiden wasn’t there, and he felt like he couldn’t interrupt to her. She and the little boy disappeared up the stairs before Aiden even figured out what he could say and how he could get the girl to accept the note and read it. 

After that, Will Horton came into the living room. 

“Did they go upstairs?” he sighed, looking somewhat frustrated. 

“Yes,” said Aiden, standing up. He held up the note. “I still haven’t been able to give this to her. I promised your cousin." 

Will came towards him. “I promise I’ll get Paige the note. She’s had a bit of a rough afternoon, and I don’t know if its the right time for her to read that.” 

Will held out his hand, and Aiden handed him the note. 

“I’ll make sure she reads it, but she’s got to cool off a bit first,” said Will. Will looked Aiden in the eye. “I’ll wager know as well as we do that returning from the dead isn’t easy. Everyone we meet wants an explanation, but in truth, they don’t really want to know the reality of what happened. They want to be told we’re okay.” 

Aiden smirked at that. He knew exactly how that felt, and he knew the discomfort that came from being expected to relive horrific details. 

“I’m glad you seem to have gotten through it,” replied Aiden smoothly, careful not to show any expectation that Will was okay. 

“Likewise,” said Will, tucking the note in his jacket pocket. 

“Who is the little boy?” asked Aiden. “He can’t be yours…I mean, you weren’t gone long enough. Neither of you.”

“You’re at least able to count, unlike some people.” Will looked up toward the stairs. “He’s a foster child, I guess that’s the right term. We found him with his dead parents, and no one was around. So, we took him in…we used him to as part of our cover. He helped us appear like a devout young family. They…people were looking for us.” Will paused and he looked at Aiden. “Thanks to the ISA cover documents, he’s legally our son, but once we reinstate our real identities those documents will be nullified. We don’t know if he has any relatives that could take him, and we’d rather not hand him off to strangers.” 

Aiden blinked. The fact that Will and Paige seemed to have converted to Islam and were behaving as though they were married to each other was, at best, very odd. Moreover, Aiden couldn’t imagine what most of the town would make of this. Salem was not the most sophisticated place, and at least some people would think the worst of them for this, fair or not. Aiden didn’t think the ISA would be handing out identity documents to suspected terrorists, but he was immensely curious as to what had happened to them. 

“Are you asking for my legal help?” he asked.

Will nodded. “If we find relatives that can take him, we’ll do the right thing, of course.”

Aiden nodded. “Where is he from? I mean, can you tell me where you found him?” 

Will folded his arms. “Syria. His parents died in a chemical weapons attack by their own government as they were trying to flee. His mother put a breathing apparatus on him as she was dying.” 

Aiden wondered what the hell had happened to Will and Paige that they had been there. Aiden had heard the news stories, seen the President’s condemnations of such attacks. Yet, suddenly all that didn’t seem so far away. 

“You and Paige both want custody? As foster mother and father? What about your husband?” asked Aiden. 

Will gestured to the kitchen. “Would you care for some Turkish coffee while I explain the whole story?”

Aiden agreed, suddenly very curious. He followed Will into the kitchen. There, he saw the ISA Agent called Shireen setting out tiny coffee cups. 

“They’ll be one more for coffee," said Will. “You might want to stick around, too. I’m about to tell the whole, bloody story to Mr. Jennings because he's going to help us with the Ali legal situation." 

The young ISA agent smiled at Aiden. It was clearly genuine happiness. “That’s wonderful. The last thing I'd want is that little boy put in some sort of detention. He deserves to be in school and to have a normal kid’s life.” 

Aiden smiled at her. Whatever Will was about to say, he had been convinced to take the case. 

***

Will sat outside on the back deck, enjoying the fresh air and trying to gather his thoughts. 

After his talk with Aiden, Will spent the next few exhausting hours fielding calls from a number of people, including various grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and, of course, Gabi. She desperately wanted to see him, and he wanted to see her but the Paige incident had complicated matters. In fact, their conversation was so much about her, JJ and Chad that Gabi hadn’t inquired what had happened to Will. Maybe Lucas had filled her in, but he didn’t know many details. 

Will had been so caught up in his own drama, he forgot that the people in his life were always surrounded by drama. He wasn’t happy that Gabi was cheating on JJ, but he also was in no position to judge. He would wait and hear her side of the story. She had cried a few of the details to him, but he really hadn’t understood much. 

Gabi had seemed hurt that Will had not immediately rushed over to see her. Will didn’t want to explain the horror of his memories, the fact that he remembered the last time he had been in that apartment and Gabi had thought him dead. It was something he tried to put out of his mind. 

Thankfully, Dr. Keller had made him promise he would not succumb to pressure and do something that might set back his recovery. 

He would have invited Gabi and Ari over to the house, but Paige was clearly not in the mood for that. 

He had given Paige the note from JJ, and she had read it. She had not commented on its contents. 

In some ways, the fact that Sonny was no longer an option for Will made things easier for him. Paige may well have been holding on to the fantasy of a reunion with JJ, even though she had often said she accepted that he had moved on. 

In any case, Will knew he and Paige would have to depend on each other to set boundaries. He was thinking about that when Eve came out on the deck. She looked upset, but then she always looked upset. He stood up. 

“Paige is upstairs,” he said. “I assume you heard about the incident with Victor.”  
 Eve nodded. “I heard she saw JJ, too. Look, the situation with Gabi…” 

Will shook his head. “That was unfortunate bad timing. My dad picked the exact wrong time to bring Arianna home. Gabi was just tagging along…”

“What?” asked Eve. 

Will was suddenly confused. If Eve didn’t know about the scene that had happened earlier, what situation was she talking about?”


	30. Chapter 30

_Four Months Earlier_

Istanbul was one of the most beautiful cities Will had ever seen, and he enjoyed every chance he had to get out of the hotel and explore. He and Paige had been shopping and sightseeing and behaving a bit like normal tourists, albeit ones who had to have ISA agents with them at all times. 

On this particular afternoon, Will was walking through the Old City with Hazan. As they made their way down a cobblestone street, Will could see The Hagia Sophia and The Blue Mosque looming in the background. There were all sorts of shops, outdoor cafes and restaurants and souvenir shops. A barker handed him a flyer for a belly dancing show, which he showed to Hazan.  
 “That’s way overpriced,” said Hazan. “I can find you a far cheaper performance.” 

The barker, undeterred, asked Will if he would like to visit his cousin’s rug shop. The man promised very good prices. 

Hazan said something in Turkish to the man, and he skulked away. 

“If you do ever want to buy a rug,” said Hazan, “ask me. I’ll see to it you aren’t cheated like most of the tourists.” 

Will grinned. He had gotten used to the bartering and the haggling when he was with the rebels. Turkish culture didn’t seem that different. In some ways, he and Paige had shared a profound adventure. They had learned a new culture, language and religion together. It wasn’t what Will would have chosen by any means, but he was proud of his new language skills and his ability to understand a different culture. He knew Paige was as well. 

Paige was with her mother and Shireen, and Will had gently encouraged Paige to spend some time with her mom and maybe even open up about what had happened to her. If anything else good could come of this mess, maybe Paige could heal the rift between her and her mom. Will, of all people, knew about forgiving one’s mother self-destructive behavior. 

Will had been telling Hazan a little bit about his background as they walked, and Hazan seemed very interested, especially the parts that didn’t match the dossiers he had read on Will and Sami. 

“What would I have to do to get you to show me the dossier on my mom?” asked Will playfully. 

Hazan glanced over at a bathhouse with a Rainbow Flag and smiled. “I can think of a few things,” he replied. 

Will blushed. He had been so immersed in Muslim culture that he had learned that there was plenty of same sex fooling around, but in Syria it had been mostly underground and secretive. In secular Istanbul, there were gayborhoods, with bars and bathhouses and nightclubs. Men walked down the street holding hands. 

“Turkey is a lot like the states,” said Hazan. “We’ve got sophisticated cities and artist enclaves, and we’ve got reactionary conservatives, especially out in the country.” 

Will smiled. “So…you always knew? That you were into guys?” 

“Always,” replied Hazan. “Girls, too, sometimes, but mostly guys. I don’t limit myself.”  
 Hazan shot Will a look that seemed to dare Will to question this or react in a negative or skeptical way, but Will just smiled. He actually felt a little jealously that Hazan could be so open. Hazan gestured to an ice cream stand, and Will nodded. He’d lost a lot of weight while they were in the mountains, so he felt he could indulge. 

Will ordered the saffron, while Hazan got vanilla, and they sat on a bench. 

“So…you and Paige…” asked Hazan. His tone make it clear what he was asking. 

“That’s between her and me,” said Will. “We knew people would pry into that, and we agreed to tell everyone…and I mean everyone, that it was none of their business.” 

“Even your husband?” asked Hazan. 

Will sighed. “If I had any intention of staying with him, I would tell him, but you know why that’s not possible.” 

Hazan looked at his ice cream cone. “Are you sure he knew? Maybe he was just his uncle’s patsy.” 

Will sighed. “When I first met him, he told me he would never work for his uncle. He told me his family’s business had all sorts of illegal and unethical tentacles. He didn’t even want to take seed money for his business from his family. He couldn’t have not known.” 

Hazan smiled. “I admire your writerly double negatives, and I’m sorry that your heart was broken. It’s always difficult to learn the person you love isn’t who you thought they were.” 

Will sighed. “I turned out to be exactly who he thought I was, it’s just he thought he could fix me.” 

Hazan smiled. “Well, I for one admire exactly who you are. I know your grandfather and uncle’s reputations. You could have been an amazing ISA operative. Manipulative, a talent for deception, stubborn…all things that make an ISA agent great. Reporters, too, I guess.” 

Will looked over at a newsstand. There were huge, banner headlines, presumably about the coup. He didn’t read Turkish, so he could only guess by the pictures. “The only difference is that reporters tell the world what they find. ISA agents keep the secrets,” he said. 

Hazan shook his head. “You’ll have quite a tale to tell soon enough. I’m sure the world will want to hear it.” 

  ****

Will was trying to process Eve’s revelation and everything it meant for him as well as Arianna, Gabi, Paige and JJ. What had been a big mess of drama before just became a quagmire of drama.

Will tracked Hazan down in the hall and started peppering him with questions about this man who was supposedly Paige’s father. 

Hazan shook his head. “We knew it was a possibility that Paige’s father worked for us, yes, we just didn't think it was relevant. Especially for her, under the circumstances. He’s a bit of a loose canon.” 

Will was wrecked over this. He had done everything he could to protect Paige from violence and from becoming violent. She had never wanted to even use a gun, and he had only taught her the basics just in case she had to. All the time they were in the palace, all the time they were with the rebels, he had told Paige she was too good, too decent to get blood on her hands. She was a healer, not a killer. He just hoped that she would continue to believe that and not try and hurt Victor again.

“You know what this means?” asked Hazan. “It means that Paige and Gabi Hernandez are half-sisters.” 

Will took a deep breath. Arianna was calling Paige “Miss Paige” because they though aunt or stepmom would be weird for the family. Now, it seemed “Aunt Paige” would be completely appropriate. That actually made Will feel happy for his daughter. Whatever the outcome of this mess, Ari had just been gifted the best aunt a little girl could ask for. 

The question was, who was going to tell Paige and how was she going to react. Eve wanted to, but Paige’s relationship with her mother was still fragile. Making matters worse, in a round about way, this involved JJ. 

“I’ll have to tell Paige about her father,” said Will. “I just need to know what you know. You probably know more than Eve. Paige needs to know who this man is, really, and if she wants a relationship with him…or her siblings. She has to get all the information so she can make the decision for herself, without any outside pressure.” 

“What are you talking about?” asked Paige. 

Will turned around and there she stood in the hallway, looking more incensed than shattered. Suddenly, Will felt like he would have made a really lousy spy. 

“I just found out from your mom that your father is in town. He obviously wants to see you. I think that’s up to you,” he said. 

Paige smiled and she strode over to Will and gave him a big hug, and she kissed him on the cheek. “You know why I love you? You’re the only person I’ve ever loved. Friend or family. That has ever left big choices up to me. Nobody has ever done that. Just you.” 

“I didn’t let you kill Victor,” said Will meekly. 

“You persuaded me,” she replied. “There’s a difference. Plus that was for my own good.” 

Hazan grinned at Will, and he smiled at Hazan, though weakly. “There’s more,” said Will, “and I’m not sure you’re going to like it. It’s going to complicate matters for all of us.” 

Paige hugged him closer, and she mumbled a mild curse in Arabic. “What could possibly complicate things more?” she asked.


	31. Chapter 31

_Three Months Earlier_

Paige sipped on her mocha Frappichino and leaned against a stone wall. She gazed out on the sparkling Bosphorus Straight and beyond that the Middle Eastern side of Istanbul, but her eyes kept moving back toward her mother who was carrying on a conversation with a exceptionally handsome young man who couldn’t have been more than thirty. Paige had heard the young man compliment her mother about a dozen times, suggest she visit his cousin’s rug shop and now he was telling her how much he wanted to visit America. 

The young man, having seen her wedding ring and hijab, had not spoken to her. Eve was delighted by the attention, and Paige didn’t want to break it to Eve that the young man probably looked at her and saw a walking and talking green card. 

“Mom,” she said, “we need to go meet Will. Shireen has gone to hail us a cab.” 

Eve was taking the young man’s business card and promising to stop by the shop. Paige sighed, and she crooked her finger so her mother would come this way. Paige had no interest in the young man’s sales pitch. On the other hand, Paige didn't want to deflate her mom by explaining what the guy’s agenda was. 

“Such a handsome man,” said Eve as they walked toward the intersection. “His English is terrific.” 

Paige nodded. “They learn it in grade school. It’s the lingua franca since not a lot of visitors speak Turkish.” 

Eve gave Paige a little hug. “There’s probably so many sophisticated and educated young men here. Many of them Muslims, if that’s really where’s your interest lies…or you could go to Stanford. I’m sure they’d readmit you…” 

Paige slurped down the last of her coffee drink. “If I went to Stanford, it wouldn’t be to meet boys. It would be to, you know, take classes. Remember, I’m already married.” 

Eve rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know but you’re not really married…I mean not in the real sense…”

Paige glared at her mother. 

“Baby,” she said, “you deserve to be happy. It’s not fair that you’ve been forced into this with a man who will never want you.” 

Paige stepped very close to her mother and spoke in a very low voice. “Mom, you know what Ben did to me, right? Or at least you can imagine. I was conscious the whole time. Then, I came very close to being forced into prostitution. Then, I was under constant threat of becoming an ISIS bride. Getting married saved me, but I’m curious why you would think a forced marriage with a husband who expected me to fuck him was preferable to a forced marriage with one that didn’t?”

Eve’s mouth dropped open. Paige smiled to herself. Making Eve speechless wasn’t easy to do, but it always gave Paige a feeling of satisfaction. 

“If I need an orgasm, I can go jet skiing,” continued Paige as she noticed Shireen had found them a cab.

Shireen smiled and waved as she stood outside the taxi. Paige smiled back and waived, and Eve remained silent as they got into the car, and it zoomed toward the hotel. 

 

***

Will looked around one of the spare rooms of the mansion, which was piled high with boxes, two giant stuffed animals - one Lion and one Giraffe. In the boxes were clothes and toys Will and Paige had gotten for Arianna and Ali. 

After some discussion, they had decided that gifts, taking the little boy to see Santa with his new sister and Christmas decorations wouldn’t be a violation of their responsibility to raise Ali in the faith of his biological parents. Jesus was considered a profit of Islam, after all. 

Also, Will loved Christmas and all its trappings. It made him feel more like he had come home. 

“More than a few Christmases, it was just my mom and me,” said Paige. “They were happy times, usually, even when there weren’t many presents.” 

Will smiled. “I think she’s glad we’ve invited her for Christmas.” 

“I hope she likes the bracelet, I got her,” said Paige. 

“I think he best gift was you,” replied Will.   Will wasn’t ready to attend any big family celebrations with the Bradys or the Hortons this year. His book wasn’t out, and many of them new few details of what had happened. He didn’t want to answer questions or make anyone uncomfortable.

Arianna would be spending Christmas Eve with Will, and then Christmas morning with the Hernandez family. In the days since she learned of her relation to them, Paige had thus far declined to see or interact with any of them, especially Gabi. She had been pretty silent about the whole thing. 

That was about to change as they were going to pick up Arianna and take her and Ali to see Santa in Horton Town Square. Hazan and Shireen were tagging along as always, although their roles had morphed from guards to body guards since the revelation of their survival had become front page news. 

Hazan drove them in the van that had been equipped with a carseats Ali and Ari, though Will was eager to go car shopping and get his own car. He and Paige both needed their own cars, especially since she was going to start taking classes at Salem University again. 

Paige looked calm as the group spied Gabi and Ari, and Ari ran to meet her new brother. The two children started chattering and pointing out Christmas decorations. Paige smiled at Ari. 

“Are you ready to see Santa?” she asked. “You’re going to have to show Ali the ropes, since its his first time.” 

Will smiled, and he was about to say something when a nearby woman said, “What are they doing here? Has someone alerted security?” 

Will turned. The woman had said this loudly, clearly intending for them to hear it. Will gestured to Hazan and Shireen. “They’re security. Why don’t you ask them?” 

The woman scowled. “They’re making people uncomfortable. There are children here that don’t need to be scared. “ 

Will pointed to Ali. “I assume you’re not including my son in that. He knows what it is to be scared, given that he’s arrived here from a war zone.” 

Paige came along. “Jesus is a prophet of Islam,” she said. “By the way, did you know the word for God in Jesus's language is Allah?” 

Gabi had approached, and she blanched. “We can take the kids inside. I can do it, if you’d rather.” 

Paige looked at Gabi. “I’ll come along, Sis. It seems my choice of headwear bothers this good woman. Maybe Santa has more of the Christmas spirit.” 

Gabi blanched, but she nodded. Paige knelt down. “This is your Aunt Gabi, Ali. She’s Arianna’s mother. We’re all going to see Santa together.” The four of them got in the line, and Paige turned and winked at Will. 

Will found this a little bit nerve wracking. 

Hazan walked over to Will. “I know you don’t have a good camera, Will, but I have this one we use for surveillance. It should do. You can take the pictures from here.” Hazan leaned over and whispered in Will’s ear. “Don’t worry, we can always separate them. Shireen and I are both heavily trained in conflict resolution.” 

Will nodded, then he turned to the woman. “My last name is Horton. That lady in the Hijab is my wife. Tell me why she doesn’t belong here in Horton Town Square again?” 

The woman skulked away. 

“Merry Christmas,” said Will as she disappeared around a corner


	32. Chapter 32

Will took some pictures of Ari and Ali on Santa’s lap, from a distance. He watched as Gabi and Paige, who did look like sisters, talked but he was too far away to hear what they were saying. Paige didn’t look angry, her face was serene but Will knew her well enough to know that lots of emotion was bubbling under her calm facade. 

Paige had lost so much, all because of a case of mistaken identity. It wasn’t fair, and she wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t pissed off. Will was pissed off, too, but at least he had had some of what had happened to him coming. Not all, of course, but he still felt responsible for his own behavior. 

Will sighed. He probably should talk to Dr. Keller about his feelings that he had deserved what happened to him. He snapped another picture, but in the corner of the frame he saw a pale-skinned man that didn't look like he was that interested in Santa. Will didn’t recognize him, per say, but he reminded him of the hardened, Russian fighters that he had encountered during his ordeal. He got a bad feeling about the guy, who stood like a solider not a father waiting for his child to see Santa. Maybe it was unfair, but Will looked at Hazan and gestured with his eyes. 

Hazan had already seen the man. 

“Go get Paige and the kids," said Hazan, who pressed a gun into Will’s hand. Will hated guns, wanted to put the war behind him, but he took it. On the other side of the square, Will saw another man who didn't seem to belong. He had the same stance and hardened look.

Hazan started to approach the first man. Shireen was speaking with Paige, but it didn’t look like she had even seen the strange man, since her back was to him. Will quickly moved toward Paige, Gabi and the kids. 

“We need to all get in the car, now,” said Will. Paige nodded, but Gabi looked incensed. 

“Ari wants to see the gingerbread houses,” she miffed.

“Later,” said Will firmly. He locked eyes with Shireen, who had now spied the two men. Paige also seemed to have clued in to what might be going on. 

The man Hazan approached made some sort of a move, Hazan countered it, and a gun went off. The second man locked eyes with Will, and Will gripped his gun, but the man chose to run rather than fight. This was a relief to Will. 

“We’re going to the van, now” said Shireen. “All of us.” 

Will nodded. Hazan had put faith in him by giving him a weapon, but Will wasn’t a fighter anymore. He wanted to put his faith in the professionals.

They rushed to the parking lot. 

“What was that?” asked Gabi as she strapped Arianna . They didn’t even have time to strap the kids into their carseats before Shireen pulled away, much to Gabi’s chagrin. Shireen pulled into an alley where Gabi and Paige started to get the kids into the carseats. 

“Paige and Will are scheduled to testify in more than one important case,” said Shireen to Gabi. “My guess is that someone was sent to silence them. The men were in a position that is used by black ops when preparing for attack. That also wasn’t Hazan’s gun that went off.” 

“It sounded Russian,” said Will, who had learned to tell the difference. 

“Was it Victor?” asked Paige. “I mean, who sent them.” 

Will shook his head. “No. Those guys probably didn’t work for Victor. More like the people Victor was supplying with chemical weapons. In fact, someone needs to check on Victor…and Sonny and the whole family.” 

Paige finished strapping Ai in, and she looked at Will sadly. She reached into the front seat and squeezed Will’s hand. 

“We don’t know what this was yet,” she said. “He might not be in danger.” 

Will nodded. Even knowing what Sonny had done, he didn’t want him killed. Sonny had a right to face what he had done. 

Shireen’s phone beeped. She checked it. “Damn, Hazan’s been arrested. He doesn’t have his ISA badge. It’s in his camera bag.” 

Will checked the bag, and there was the id. He supposed it made sense to keep such a badge in a non-obvious place. Shireen pulled the car out, and she headed toward the police station. She pulled up in front, right near the door where they brought in perpetrators. Will had entered through this way more than once. 

“It’s best if I stay with Paige and the kids,” said Shireen.

Will looked around, and he saw no good vantage spot for a sniper. He nodded, took Hazan’s ID and headed into the station. It was a highly familiar place. Not only had he been arrested more than once, and his grandfather and various other relatives all worked here. 

He sauntered in, and he noticed the strange looks he was getting. It irked him. It wasn’t like he was the first return from the dead around here. Aiden had came back only weeks before Paige and himself. 

Will’s Aunt Hope came and hugged him. She was both a cousin and an great-Aunt by marriage but somehow it had just landed on him calling her Aunt Hope. 

“I’m sorry about Uncle Bo,” said Will meekly. 

“Me too," she replied. "Are you here to visit your Grandpa?" 

Will held up Hazan’s ISA ID. “I'm here to give this to my ISA bodyguard." 

Hope examined the ID. "Shit," she said. 

“Let me guess,” said Will. “The guy he disarmed has been let go." 

Hope glared at him. “He escaped. Our officers didn't know the situation. It would have been nice to be briefed on the identities of ISA agents in town.” 

Will was about to say something in response, then he remembered the entire Salem PD was under investigation for corruption. 

“Where is he?” asked Will. “I’m not supposed to be separate from him. He’s supposed to protect me from assassination and also my own big mouth.” 

Hope looked at him strangely. 

“I’m a witness. I saw stuff while I was gone,” he said. 

“That he did,” said Hazan, in an elegantly calm voice that gave Will goosebumps.  
 Will looked over and saw JJ with Hazan. Hazan wasn’t in handcuffs, and he appeared totally calm and not the least bit under arrest. He smiled and Will, and Will grinned. Hazan seemed rather tickled to see Will there. Tickled or maybe relieved. 

“I vouched for him,” said JJ. “I met him the other day when you were with Paige.” 

Will handed Hazan his ID, and Hazan put it in his coat pocket. “We’re trained not to keep the ID somewhere obvious,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d have camera bag for long.” 

Will looked at Hope. "Is he free to go? Paige and the kids, and Gabi are all in the car.” 

Hope nodded. “Except that there are two people out there who may or may not want to kill you and Paige." 

Will sighed. He knew this was a possibility, but it wasn’t fun getting confirmation. JJ got a pained look on his face. 

“We’ve got an entire security detail at the old Kiriakas mansion,” said Hazan. “We need to get them back there. It’s safer.” Hazan looked at Will sadly. “Looks like there will be no wandering around this holiday.” 

Will sighed. He was about to answer when JJ spoke first. “So, Gabi and Paige are in a car, together?” 

Will blinked. “Shireen, Paige’s bodyguard, will make sure things stay on an even keel,” he said without thinking, hoping it was true.


	33. Chapter 33

Paige kept her eyes on Ali, as she asked him about Santa and what he had asked for, which was a Spider Man outfit so he could go and fight bad guys back home. As young as he was, Ali had not forgotten the traumas of his homelands. 

“I want to fight just like Daddy,” said Ali.   
 Paige smiled. She felt Gabi’s eyes on her, but she didn’t look over at her. This person. 

Will and Paige had spent a lot of nights together in bed, talking. Will had told stories. Many of them had been about his coming out, but they had also been about his ill-fated romance with Gabi and her pattern of self-destructive behavior. 

Little had she known that she was related to this person. 

This person who had made Will’s life miserable along with her abusive boyfriend and tried to take Will’s daughter from him. After that boyfriend had attacked her, she had dumped him in the river and covered it up, embroiling Will in the cover up and subjecting him to Nick’s blackmail. Then, she had killed Nick and was ready to let Will go to prison for it. 

This person had taken up with JJ, and she was cheating on him with a man she had stalked. That stalking had led to the deaths of two people, including JJ’s father. 

Paige adored little Arianna. Ari was her niece and stepdaughter. For Ari’s sake, Paige took a deep breath and remained silent. 

“I probably need to get Ari home soon,” said Gabi. 

Shireen turned around and spoke sharply. “There’s an assassin who wants Paige and Will dead. He would take your daughter or you if he thought it would lead to Will. You aren’t going anywhere. In fact, for your own safety, the two of you will probably need to stay at the compound.’ 

Paige bit her lip, but she smiled. Paige had gotten used to being a prisoner, and she’s never even been in prison. Gabi had, so this shouldn’t be too much of an adjustment. “Both Ali and Ari have rooms. We can put a cot in Ari’s room so you can bunk there. There’s a whole bunch of bedrooms, but not all of them have furniture,” said Paige. 

“Ari’s room is across from Mommy and Daddy’s,” said Ali. 

Gabi looked at Paige, and Paige briefly rolled her eyes. Gabi had to have been told some of the details by someone. Paige certainly didn’t want to tell her. 

“It's going to be like a slumber party," said Paige brightly. 

“My room’s on the same floor," said Shireen. “I’m highly trained in conflict resolution.” 

At that moment, Will and Hazan emerged from the police station. Hazan approached the driver’s side window. 

“There’s not enough seats in the van for all of us, so Will and I will meet you back at the mansion,” he said. 

Shireen turned the ignition. “Be careful,” she said to Hazan before pulling away. 

“Is this really necessary?” said Gabi. 

Paige looked over at her, incredulous. Did she not understand? Did she not get the danger?

“It’s necessary,” said Shireen cooly. Shireen looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Paige. She winked and smiled. “It’ll be okay,” she said. 

****

Will and Hazan found a cab, and they took it back to the mansion. Hazan spent most of the time on the phone, giving a description of the man whom they believed had been sent to kill Will and Paige. He obviously wasn’t worried about the cab driver hearing them. 

“People like that don’t accept failure lightly,” said Hazan as he hung up. “We have to find both of them and neutralize them.” 

“I guess that doesn’t mean arrest them,” mumbled Will. 

Hazan glared at him. “The very fact that they’ve made it all the way here is deeply concerning. Do you think you’re husband’s family assisted them?” 

Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I sort of hope so so that they won’t be going after Sonny. I don’t want him hurt.” 

Hazan looked at him sympathetically. “The local police can’t be trusted on this. An ISA team has been scrambled. We’ll go back home, and you’ll stay there until the team has done their work.” 

Will was about to snark, but it had started to sink in that he was in danger again. The last thing he wanted to do was die again just when he had returned to his daughter. Also, he and Paige had a lot to say about war crimes and human trafficking. He did not want to check out before he had testified to what he had seen. He had even said so. 

“They want to send lawyers to depose you and Paige just in case,” said Hazan. 

Will looked at Hazan. That just seemed totally wrong. “Seriously? In case we get killed?” 

The cab pulled through the gates of the Kiriakas mansion, and the gates closed behind them. “Well…” said Hazan. 

“I mean, you should be insulted,” said Will. “You’re supposed to keep me alive. I mean, they don’t have much faith in you.”

Hazan pulled up in front of the mansion. “I’ll keep you alive. I have a vested interest in your survival. We haven’t got to see a movie yet. There’s a new Star Wars film.” 

“Another one? Paige and I watched the new one at the hotel in Turkey. More than once,” said Will. 

Hazan smiled. “This one is new. It’s a prequel of sorts to the first one.” 

Will shook his head. He had been out of the pop culture loop for a year, and weirdly, that hurt him as much as potentially being murdered by black ops agents. He wondered if maybe he had actually gone mad. 

They got out of the cab, and Hazan paid the fair and gave the driver a nice tip. Before they could even go in side Gabi came out of the front door. 

“Where’s Ari?” asked Will. 

“She’s upstairs playing with Ali,” said Gabi. “Paige is with them. Will what is going on?” 

Will sighed. “How much did my father tell you? I really can’t rehash everything but Paige and I are going to testify to…among other things war crimes. There’s some people who would rather we didn’t do that. It’s probably safe for you to be here. Even with Paige here.” 

Gabi looked at Will, and Will realized that she might not have realized that Paige had told him what she had seen. 

“Let’s go inside,” said Will. “I have a galley copy of my book. You should read it.”   
 Will didn’t recall Gabi being much of a reader, but she needed to read his book. She had a right to know what had happened to her daughter’s father. She also needed to know why Will and Paige had become so close. 

Gabi started to cry. Will took a deep breath, and he gave Gabi a hug. “I know it’s scary, but we’re safe here. At least as safe as we can be. Hazan here and the other ISA agents will keep us all safe. Won’t they?” 

Will locked eyes with Hazan. Will was also wondering if Paige had said anything to Gabi that might have heightened Gabi’s stress.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! As you know, Istanbul plays a big role in this story as an example of a secular, vibrant city. It's a beautiful place, and many of you know they have suffered a terrible mass shooting. My thoughts are with them, as they try and fight the good fight against forces from within and without. We in America have a lot in common with them.

Will sat in the living and watched Ali and Ari play in the corner It was a little too chilly to be outside, and there was the added danger that made it not a good idea to be in the backyard despite all the security. Will thought it was ironic that he a prisoner again, despite everything. 

They had put up a Christmas tree, but it was only half decorated, and most of the ornaments that were on it were made of blue Turkish ceramic. Somehow, that seemed right. 

The two kids played like they didn't have a care in the world, although the game Ali wanted to play was run from the bombs, which made Will feel rather melancholy. He hoped that that would only ever be a game for both children from now on. 

Will had a lot on his mind. Paige, Gabi, Hazan…Russian assassins. Although, if he did live through the next few hours, he thought that “once targeted by Russian assassins” might make a good line on a dating profile. Guys would think he was kidding, but he wouldn't be. 

Hazan came out of the kitchen, and he brought two beers with him and handed one Will. Will gratefully took it. 

“Paige is upstairs and won’t come out of your room,” said Hazan. 

Will took a sip of his beer. It tasted strange, not bad, but it had become unfamiliar. He was grateful that Hazan had gotten some. He also liked that Hazan wasn’t too strict in his religious practice, at least when it came to alcohol. Hazan also only said his prayers when it was convenient, Will noticed. 

Gabi, who had been trying to arrange for one of her brothers to deliver some things to her, came into the room from the hallway, and she waved to Ari, who smiled and waved back. 

“She's doing great,” said Will, who was happy to see Gabi again despite everything. She reminded of a time when he didn’t realize how simple his life had been. “I don’t know how to thank you.” 

“I thought you didn’t drink anymore,” said Gabi. “I thought you weren’t allowed.” 

Will smiled at her. “Not everyone follows every rule. There was a lot of alcohol being drunk in both Syria and Turkey. Although, Shireen doesn’t drink at all. At least, I’ve not seen her.” 

Hazan smiled. “No, she follows all the rules. She’s a rule follower that one.” 

Gabi looked puzzled. “So…you really converted? Did they force you? Are you going to…Arianna was Baptized…” 

Hazan looked at Will. “I’ll go into the kitchen. You two should probably talk alone. Just don’t go outside and keep the blinds shut.” 

Gabi glared at Hazan. “Why aren’t you out looking for them? I’d like to go home if I could. Arianna needs to be home.” 

Hazan smiled. “Well, if I were needed I would, but that’s not really my area.” Hazan disappeared toward the kitchen.

“He’s a counter-terrorism expert. Specializes in identifying and deprogramming radicals,” explained Will. “I was a disappointment. Not radicalized enough to make full use of his skills.” 

Gabi looked at him, and she seemed terribly confused. “Not enough?” 

Will sighed, and he got up and went to a desk that was in the corner and pulled out a galley copy of his book. He handed it to her. 

“Ghosts of the Spring,” said Gabi. “A story of life after death and the war in Syria.” 

“Spring refers to the Arab Spring. Paige and I are the ghosts, but the book isn’t so much about us. It addresses what happened to us, but it’s about the people we met. We were with more than one faction, and we got see different sides of the conflict.” 

Gabi looked at him with a bit of confusing. That wasn’t surprising. She wasn’t one to keep up on global events. 

“I’m not supposed to rehash everything. Our shrink thinks that would be bad for us, so you can read all about most of it,” continued Will. 

Gabi nodded. “I’ll read it.” 

Will pointed to the book’s back cover. “Paige wrote the introduction, and a few passages here and there. I didn’t like speaking for her, so I let her explain a few things for herself. She’s a decent writer for a med student.” 

Gabi opened the book to the first pages. That’s where the dedication was. 

_For Arianna Grace, for inspiring me not to give up. For Paige, who made sure I didn’t give up._

“If the book gets boring,” said Shireen as she breezed in from the hallway. “we’re thinking of screening Zootopia for the kids.” She approached Will and leaned over to whisper, “You probably need to go talk to her.”   Will nodded. It was more like talk her down from the metaphoric ledge. Paige had been so calm, almost serene during their ordeal, but he didn’t begrudge her becoming emotional as they tried to reclaim what was left of their own lives. 

Will looked at Gabi. “I need to go upstairs.” 

Will decided to take the back stairs, through the kitchen, and he stopped and got a beer for Paige before heading upstairs and going to their room. He knocked on the door. 

“Who’s there?” she said in Arabic. 

“Your husband,” he replied in Arabic. 

“You don’t have to knock,” she replied. 

He opened the door, and she was on the bed looking at the ceiling. He closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed. 

“It’s stressful knowing someone is trying to kill you,” said Will

“You think?” she snapped. 

“It’s not the best of circumstances to get to know your long lost sister…” 

Paige sat straight up. “Not even a little. I don’t…I don’t want…I don’t have to like her,” she seethed.

Will inhaled, and he handed her the beer. “Still, it would be easier for me…and the kids, if you didn’t want to kill her.” 

She took a sip. “I am so glad we didn’t give up alcohol,” she said. “Really glad. Did you know Shrieen has never had a drop of alcohol in her life, but she smoked weed in Amsterdam.” 

Will smiled. “Maybe there would be fewer bar fights if we all smoked and didn’t drink.” He paused. “I went to Amsterdam a few times when I lived in Switzerland.” 

She smiled at him. “I don’t think I can be nice. I’m sorry. I know you need me to be nice.” 

Will drank some of his beer. “Nice, that might be a little much. Cordial? Polite? Neutral?” 

Paige stood up and was headed for the window, then she stepped back. “We’re not even supposed to look out the window because we could get shot by a sniper. I thought we’d put snipers behind us.”

 Will sighed. “It’s almost over. Once they get the official testimony from us, they’ve no reason to kill us. They already have our statements, too.” 

Paige sat on the bed next to Will, and she put her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and he felt nothing but compassion for her. He sometimes wondered if the fact that he thought, on some level, that he deserved what had happened to him helped him cope. He felt like he was a better person because of what he survived. Paige, on the other hand, didn’t have that luxury. She had a lot of anger in her, and it needed to go somewhere. He just hoped she wouldn’t turn it on Gabi, because whatever Gabi had done she didn’t deserve to be hated by her own sister.


	35. Chapter 35

Will had made sure Gabi had a comfortable cot set up in Ari’s room, and she was there reading his book while the kids were downstairs watching a movie with Shireen and Paige. Hazan was on kitchen duty that night, and he was making some sort of Turkish kabob thing for everyone. 

“You haven’t heard anything?” asked Will, who had come to assist him. “About the assassins?” 

“I would mention it if I had,” replied Hazan. “It’s relevant to you, after all.” Hazan gestured to some vegetables that clearly needed chopping. 

Will sighed, but he was happy to play kitchen assistant to help pass the time. “Gabi should be able to be with her family for Christmas. Stuff like that is important. You don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve been taken from it.” 

Hazan, who was stirring some sort of sauce, glanced over at him. “Yet, you’ve refused all invitations from your family this holiday.” 

Will started chopping some zucchini and squash. “That’s different I need people to read the book before they start asking how I am or what happened or whether I’m a terrorist.” 

Hazan turned to Will. “I read your book. The book is rather nebulous on the second point, you know.” 

Will shook his head sadly. The group he and Paige stayed with in the mountains were considered freedom fighters by some, terrorists by others. Will had only participated in attacks against people who might hurt him, including regime fighters and ISIS. The people he fought alongside with were undoubtedly not as picky. 

“Does it bother you?” asked Will, who figured that Hazan might view his former comrades as terrorists. “That I fought with them.” 

Hazan took a deep breath. “It’s not easy when even one’s government shifts positions on who is a terrorist. I know, however, that you never targeted my people nor any civilians. So, no, it doesn’t bother me.” 

Will put down the knife, and he and Hazan began preparing the skewers. “Well, it bothers me. I fought alongside guards at the palace who would have probably killed me if I made a wrong move and I know they helped their government purposefully murder civilians.” 

Hazan smirked. "As opposed to only helping a government that most of the time doesn't intend to kill civilians but regularly does so?” 

"I know that those ISIS fighters I killed would have …I don’t even want to think about what they would have done to Paige and me. I still have nightmares about it. I have nightmares about the mountains, too, and if the conflict ends…like it looks like it will soon…will those people turn those guns on your people?” 

Hazan was a Turkish nationalist, so Will assumed he had some very strong feelings about Kurdish separatists.

“Whose to say my people don’t have it coming?” asked Hazan as he fired up the indoor grill. “It’s not like the movies, is it? The movies never show the good guys doing bad things or fighting alongside bad guys that happen to hate their enemies.” 

Will didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just stayed quiet. Hazan looked at him with sympathy. 

“It's never exciting or fun to kill a person. It's not glamorous. It’s unpleasant and awful, even when necessary,” said Hazan. Will didn’t need to be told Hazan was speaking from experience. “You need to be proud of what you accomplished, which is protecting Paige, protecting Ali and living through what you did and getting home. I'm glad you're not proud of the killing, though." 

Will inhaled. "I wish Paige could have protected herself. I hated the position she was in more than she did, I think. Someone as smart and resourceful as her shouldn’t need a man to protect her." 

Hazan started laying the kebobs on the grill. “Could you check the rice?” 

Will peered at the rice cooker. “It’s not quite done. Soon.” 

“Don’t sell Paige short. She protected you, too. The way she adapted, lived the part. That was key to your survival. She gave you credibility and sympathy. You know would not have survived without her.” Hazan approached and put his arm around Will’s waist. “You say as much in your book, remember?”

Will blushed. He had written specifically and clearly that he and Paige could not have survived without each other, and he knew that.

“I still hate the way she was robbed of her independence," said Will. “It wasn’t right.” 

Hazan squeezed him a little closer. “You were robbed of your freedom, too, and together you both got your back. You fought and you won.”  
 Will inhaled. He hated what happened, but he did feel stronger because of it. He felt like there was nothing he couldn’t face, not even death. 

“In case you didn’t realize it,” continued Hazan. “I find it very sexy that you won.”< /p>

 Will smiled as Hazan leaned over and kissed him. First, it was sweet and then became deeper and more passionate.

“Oh, excuse me,” said a familiar, maternal voice.   Will broke the kiss but not the embrace. He saw his mother standing in the door, looking incensed. 

“Hi Mom,” said Will. “I believe you know my bodyguard, Hazan.” 

Sami snorted lightly. “Does he know you're a married man?” 

“Paige approves,” Will said, knowing he was just baiting her. She knew very little of what had happened to Will and Paige. “She likes to approve of the men I see, and she has very high standards. Hazan’s a genuine, terrorist fighting hero.” 

Will rolled his eyes. His mother had had more than one husband herself, after all. He hadn’t explained to his mother exactly why he had no intention of staying married to Sonny once his identity was reinstated, but she was still in no position to judge. Sonny had moved on. 

Hazan stepped away, and he started checking on the kabobs as though they were to be served to an Emperor. 

“Ms. Brady,” he said, “will you be joining us for dinner? There’s plenty of food.” 

Will turned to Sami. “It’ll be fun. Gabi’s here with Ari.” 

Sami glared at Hazan. “I need to speak to my son alone,” she said. 

“We can go out on the deck,” said Will. “It’s not to cold, and there’s a heater.” 

Hazan shook his head, and he pointed to the dining room. “No. You know that isn't okay. The dining room is fine, just make sure the shutters are closed.” 

Will nodded. “Call if you need my help,” said Will as he and Sami went into the dining room. Victor’s furniture had been hauled away, and there was a clean, long modern table. 

“Might as well set the table. We’ve got me, you, Paige, Hazan, Shireen, Gabi and Ali. Anyone else coming by?” Will started to get plates out of the sideboard. These were left over from Victor’s time owning the house, and they had an ornate gilded design. Paige hated them. 

“What about Sonny?” snapped Sami. “He was wrecked he thought you…you know.” 

Will also got placemats and started to set the table. Sami started helping him. “He was so wrecked he walked out on Arianna within a couple of days. He had fun in Paris, so I hear.” 

“He thought you were dead,” snapped Sami. “You need to…” Sami’s voice trailed off.

 

Will inhaled, and then he set out a couple candles and lit them. He said something, a blessing, in Arabic. He did this partially because the sounds were pleasing and partially to troll his mother, who seemed ready to say something if she could only figure out what. 

“Gabi has the only copy of my book that I have right now. You need to read it before you judge me. She’ll probably be finished soon. She’s been upstairs with it for hours,” said Will firmly. “Paige has the kids in the living room. They’re watching a movie. Maybe you should join them.” 

Suddenly, Will heard the sound of gunfire outside. Sami did to, and she moved to look out the window but Will pulled her back and out of the way. 

“Victor had bullet proof windows installed, but let’s not test them shall we?” said Will.

 Hazan came out of the kitchen. “Stay here,” he ordered. “Do not move without my okay.” 

He headed toward the living room. Not long after, Paige and Shireen brought the kids into the living room. 

“Ali gets to show Ari a game, we used to play,” said Paige. “Hide from gunfire.” 

Ali showed Ari that there was space beneath the dining room table to shelter, and they crawled under. 

“Adults line up against the wall, away from the window. We are in lockdown,” said Shireen.


	36. Chapter 36

Shireen turned down the lights. “Everyone just stay put," she ordered in a cool, authoritative voice.

 “Someone needs to check on the dinner,” said Will. “I’m 99% sure Hazan turned off the stove but maybe you should check.”

 Shireen looked at her phone. “One man down, one in custody. That means I can go check on the food, but you all stay here. We don’t know if there are more, so the perimeter must be secured before we can end the lockdown.”

Will glared at his mother, who was peering into the kitchen. “That means we stay here.”

Shireen disappeared in the kitchen, and Ari came out from under the table.  
 “Where’s Mommy?” she asked.

“She’s upstairs,” said Will, pulling out his phone. “We’ll go see her when Miss Shireen says we can.”

Will immediately texted Gabi to stay put and stay away from the windows because they were in lockdown. Meanwhile, Paige got down on the floor and went under the table.

“Ari,” she said, “we’re playing a special game of hide and seek. It’s for when you hear scary noises outside. Ali and I and your daddy used to play it all the time. Do you want to play? You just need to come under here and stay as quiet as you can. The one who stays the quietest wins.”

Ari looked up at Will, as though she wanted permission. “You can do it. Go play with Aunt Paige,” he whispered.

Ari smiled and got under the table. Sami was staring at Will, and for a moment Will wondered if she had actually started to comprehend what he and Paige and Ali had been through. Ari peered out from under the table, then she reached out and grabbed Will’s pant leg. He smiled and got under the table. Paige was smiling and gesturing for them to be quiet, then she put her finger over Will’s lips as though to quiet him.

“Whose ready for dinner?” said Hazan’s voice. “Perimeter is secured, and the food isn’t even cold.”

Paige smiled. “All clear!” She then said the same in Arabic. Ali gleefully repeated the phrase in both English and Arabic and got out from under the table.

“Do you want try and speak Ali’s language?” asked Will. “He’s learning yours.” Will took her by the hand and they got out from under the table.

“Where’s Mommy?” asked Ari.

“Let’s go upstairs and tell her dinner is ready,” said Will as he glanced at Paige. She smiled and winked at him, and he hoped that meant dinner was going to be civil.

***

The next morning, Will woke up very early. Careful not to wake Paige, he got up out of bed and quietly went into the hall. He was surprised to see his mother in the hall, glaring at him. She had been advised not to leave the compound until the ISA gave an all clear.

The dinner had gone well, aside from a few passive aggressive remarks from Paige toward Gabi, and some curious glances from Sami toward Paige. Hazan was charming, as was Shireen, but they were spies. Spies had to be charming to do their job. You can't deprogram terrorists that don’t like you.

“Is Ari up?” he asked his mother in a low voice.

“Not yet,” she said. “Why are you sleeping in Paige’s room?”

Will rolled his eyes. “Our room. We’re kind of attached to each other. I’m still gay. She knows it.”

Will headed downstairs to the kitchen, and Sami followed him. “I’m going to make coffee. Most people around here like it dark. That’s how I’ll make it. It’s a middle eastern thing.”

Sami looked around the kitchen. “As long as you have sugar, I’ll be fine.”

Will got the sugar bowl down from a shelf. “It took us a week to figure out how to organize the kitchen,” said Will.

“The ISA owns the house now?” asked Sami.

 Will shook his head. “No, actually. It’s in a trust set up for victim renumeration. Victor and his family have hurt a lot of people. When the ISA is done with their investigations, the house will belong to the victims. They offered it to Paige and me, but it’s a little big for us.”

Sami blinked. “They were going to give you this house and you said no?”

Paige appeared in the door. “We gave serious thought to taking it and burning it down, but there are people who could use it.”

Will sighed. “It would’ve been fun to burn it down. Very cleansing. Symbolic.”

Sami looked at Will, and she looked at Paige who smiled at Will. Then, Paige gave Sami a big hug.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know my mother-in-law,” said Paige playfully.

Sami look at Will, puzzled.

“I’ll get the galley copy of my book from Gabi today. I’m sure she read the most important parts,” said Will, trying not to laugh.

Paige broke the hug. “I wrote the introduction and a few passages. Will likes me to speak for myself. Like when we got married so that I wouldn’t be handed over to a Russian Madame and forced into prostitution. Will was very chivalrous to do that.”

Sami looked at Will, who shrugged. “It was the least I could do. Also, there was a doctor there treating us both…Dr. Nazir. He prompted me. I wouldn’t have known to lie and say Paige and I were together if he hadn’t clued me in.”

Paige grinned at Sami. “Will was amazing. Everyone at the Palace where we were held bought into the idea that this was a grand romantic gesture on Will’s part. It was, just not precisely how they thought…or maybe I’m selling them short. I don’t know.”

Will sighed. “It started out as fiction, but Paige and I are and always will be each other’s family, whatever happens in the future.”

Paige sighed. “That reminds me, you need to meet with Mr. Jennings about the whole annulment thing.”

Sami smiled, and she looked relieved. “Sonny will be so happy,” she said.  
 “I would hope so,” replied Will as he handed coffee cups to Paige and Sami. “Once our marriage is dissolved, he can be with Paul. If we handle it at the same time as getting our identities reinstated, maybe Paul will be able to visit him in prison.”

Paige looked sad. “Paul seems like a good guy. Maybe he’ll find someone better. I don’t mean you…you don't want your ex’s sloppy seconds…again. Not with Hazan around.”

Will blushed, and he couldn’t help but notice the confusion on his mother’s face. He really didn't want to explain the chemical weapons issue, not over breakfast at least. It was too sad. “Paige likes Hazan,” said Will, “but let's take things one step at a time. I’m hoping Gabi & Ari will be able to be with her family tomorrow. Hopefully the all clear will come soon.”

Sami was supposed to be going to the Bradys with Will’s siblings for Christmas Day, but Will suddenly was feeling generous towards his confused and disappointed mother.

“You and Allie, Jonny and Sydney and dad can come over tomorrow night if you want. We’re having a party for some in the local Muslim community. They often don’t know what to do on Christmas so we hired a Qawwali band.”

Sami looked at Will as if he had gone crazy.

“It’s Sufi devotional music,” explained Paige. “It’s very different from western style music. It’s based on chanting. It’s very hypnotic and beautiful. It’ll be fun. Hazan’s even going to sing, so I hear.”   Will’s face got warm. “I didn’t know that.”

“Shireen says he’s got a beautiful voice,” said Paige.

Sami looked at Will, and she seemed speechless. He wasn’t sure if his mother would really get into music that consisted of twenty minute chants sung in Urdu.”

Paige smiled. “Hazan is going to sing the ghazal, that’s the love song. There’s always a love song among the prayers.”

Will smiled, and he remembered how some of the Kurds used to sing ghazals and other Qawwali songs. It was very haunting and soothing.

“You don’t have to come,” said Will, “but you are definitely invited. I’ll text dad and let him know.”

Will felt like he’d make a small breakthrough. He hadn’t wanted to go through the motions of Christmas, with all the reminders of the person he had been and how that person had, on a certain level, died. He was different. Maybe if his family came to the concert, they would start to get to know the new, improved version of him.


	37. Chapter 37

Paige looked at the clock on the kitchen wall as the kids ate breakfast, which showed it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. She was asking the kids what they thought Santa was going to bring them. Their answers were bright and enthusiastic and funny, although Paige didn't recognize a lot of Ari's requests. Paige was hopelessly out of touch with popular culture, but Ali was obsessed with Spider Man and that Paige recognized. 

Ali was obviously new to the concept of Santa, and Paige enjoyed that he was enjoying it. She and Will had discussed whether his biological parents would approve, but they decided that as long as Christmas was presented as the celebration of a prophet, they would be okay with it. They certainly didn't want Ali to feel left out. 

Shireen came into the room, and she smiled at Ali and Ari and Paige. “We’ve got the all clear. Will’s mom and Ari’s mother are free to leave. You and Will? You two get to stay until you depositions are taken. That’s going to happen right here on premises on the 26th.” 

Paige grinned. She had no objections to Sami, but she couldn’t wait for Gabi to be out of the house. Paige didn’t care for any reminders that she was related to a family of corrupt cops, murderers and con artists. In fact, according to Shireen, if the ISA’s investigation was successfully, Gabi and her two brothers would be in prison in just a few months. Will didn’t know this yet, and Paige was dreading him finding out. The only downside was that Ari would again be without a parent. 

That made Paige feel awful or at least awful that she sort of was looking forward to it. She sometimes thought that maybe Gabi could testify against her brothers and avoid going back to prison. Still, the fact that she was on parole for murder made that unlikely, at least according to Shireen. 

Paige started cleaning up the breakfast dishes, and then Gabi appeared in the kitchen, greeting the children and politely saying hello to Shireen. 

“Merry Christmas," said Gabi, who approached Paige. “Can I say that?” She spoke in a kind vaguely patronizing voice as she smiled at Shireen.

Paige bit her lip. “I don’t know can you?” 

Gabi rolled her eyes. “How are you feeling, Paige?” 

“Like I want to get my DNA fumigated," replied Paige, borrowing a joke the late Carrie Fisher had once made. 

Gabi glared. “We need to get along for Will's sake.” 

Paige smirked. “And JJ’s too? Is that still a thing? Or did he find out about you and Chad?” 

Gabi stuttered but she didn't actually say anything. Shireen stood up. “Good morning. Would you like some coffee? Also, you’re free to leave. It’s been determined to be safe. We can arrange a driver for you.” 

Paige smiled at Shireen. “You’re so competent. I am a big admirer of competence." Paige leaned over and kissed Shireen lightly on the lips and then deeper. Shireen kissed back. Paige she smiled at Shireen mischievously. Shireen, who had become a friend as much as a protector, seemed amused.

“Yes,” said Gabi blankly looking at her feet. “I’ll be coming for Ari later tonight so she can sleep in her own bed.”

“She’s got her own bed here, too,” said Paige. “You saw it. Very comfortable.” 

Paige really didn’t want to be happy that Ari’s mommy was almost certainly going back to prison thanks to her family’s criminal activities, so Paige tried to suppress those feelings. 

Yet, Ari deserved better than to be raised around so many criminals, though Paige knew what it was like to love a mother that people thought wasn't good enough for you. Will knew that, too. It was something that they had in common. Ari was her niece, and she should want the best for her. Ari would love her mother no matter what. Paige kept having to remind herself of that. 

“I’ll get you a driver,” said Shireen, who glanced at Paige with playful irritation before leaving the room. 

Paige looked at her sister, who looked very confused about the earlier kiss, which was typical of Americans. Of course, nothing was going on between Shireen and Paige. It was just that women were very affectionate with each other in her culture. Of course, that didn’t mean same-sex stuff didn’t go on in Shireen's country or any country. 

Paige hadn’t needed to be told that. She had noticed this dynamic both at the palace and in the mountains. Sex with other women was considered by some of the women not to be cheating because it wasn't with men. Paige had even managed to scandalize Will with stories of all the non-cheating-cheating that went on between wives while their husbands were away.

She could tell Gabi wanted to ask what the deal was, but Paige could also tell she wasn’t going to. That suited Paige just fine. 

***

Will stood on the front steps of the mansion and gave his mother a big hug. 

“I’m so glad you’re coming to the party tomorrow night,” said Will. “It’ll be fun, I promise. Just tell dad to bring a few hundred dollars in cash.” 

Sami nodded, though she seemed like she still hadn’t quite comprehended that the concert would involve men in the audience literally throwing money at the band. It was a peculiar tradition, at least to Western eyes. Will had been confused the first time he’d seen it as well. 

Sami looked at him skeptically as she climbed into the car. Then she glanced over at Hazan who smiled and waved. “Happy Jesus’s Birthday, Ms. Brady,” said Hazan.

Sami smiled weakly before pulling away. 

“I don’t think she likes me," said Hazan. 

Will smiled. “She’ll get used to you. I promise. Though maybe 'Merry Christmas' might work better next time." 

Hazan smiled. “I’m looking forward to tonight. What have you got planned, again?" 

Will walked over to Hazan. He was tempted to kiss him but thought the security guards might be watching. “Eve’s coming over and we’re going to sing carols. We’re going to have egg nog, and I’m going to read Ali and Ari The Night before Christmas. I’ve requested Eve sing mostly secular carols.” 

Hazan slipped his hand into Will’s. “I used to love attending The Messiah when I was at Georgetown. It didn’t convert me. Nor did the hours of straight porn my roommate watched turn me off men. Some of it was hot though.” 

Will laughed, but just then Gabi stomped out the front door and slammed it. 

“There’s supposed to be a driver coming,” she said. “Is Paige a lesbian now?” 

Hazan laughed out loud at that. “I think I’ll go check on that tree over there,” as he walked politely out of earshot. 

“Paige isn’t a lesbian,” said Will patiently. 

“She kissed the ISA girl,” said Gabi. “On the lips.” 

Will smirked. He and Paige did have a lot in common, and one of their mutual pleasures was screwing with the heads of people they were mad at. Will found this both amusing and irritating. He’d been fought over by various relatives with grudges for most of his life. He didn’t want Ari to go through that. Yet, part of him admired Paige’s knack for needling people. 

“If she was a lesbian,” said Will, “it wouldn’t bother me. So, I don’t know why it would bother you.” 

Gabi took a deep breath. “It doesn't bother me, I just would want to know.” 

As one of the security guards pulled up in a car, Will shrugged. “I'll tell her to let you know if she ever goes there. Or is thinking it.” 

Will opened the door, and Gabi climbed into the yard. “Officer Carter is going to take you home. I’ll see you later tonight. Come early and we’ll all sing carols.” 

Gabi nodded. “I’ll glad you’re back,” she said. 

Will smiled. “I know.”


	38. Chapter 38

Christmas Eve had gone beautifully. Eve had led a lot of the singing, and everyone had joined in at some point or another, even Shireen who had to look at sheet music for the words. Hazan knew all the words better than anyone, which surprised everyone but Will who knew about his time at Georgetown. They had a lovely dinner, and Will, as planned, had read the children a story. Will and Paige had wanted to take them for an evening walk to look and see if they could see Santa in the sky, but Shireen and Hazan had adamantly forbid that for security reasons. Then, Gabi had come to fetch Arianna. This had obviously made Will sad, but it was the new normal. Gabi had invited both Will and Paige over to the Hernandez house for Christmas Day, but Paige had adamantly refused. Will and Paige had then helped Ali put cookies out for Santa, and then tucked him into bed.

With the celebration wound down, Will and Paige were in the big bed they shared, both wearing their new flannel Christmas pajamas. A bit wired from all the festivities, they were chatting about preparations for the party/concert they would be hosting the next day. The Christmas Eve celebration had been small, but they were expecting a lot of people for the concert. Due the nature of the crowd, they would be no alcohol, and the audience would be divided up in the men’s and women’s sections.

Will was happy, but he also couldn’t help thinking of his family and the Christmas celebrations he had not attended and would not be attending. Dr. Keller was fully supportive of him and thought it was the right decision, but Will felt guilty despite the fact that he would find family events overwhelming.

“Your mom seemed to have a good time tonight,” said Will, who was strangely envious of Paige only having one relative she wanted to spend the holiday with.

Paige smiled. “She’s always loved Christmas. Even when I was little, she always seemed to enjoy it more than I did. I was always worried that Mom couldn’t afford what Santa brought.”

Will smiled. It was just like Paige to have figured out the Santa thing early. “I have a lot of good memories of Christmas,” replied Will. “When we put Sonny’s ornament on the Horton tree, with Ari’s, it was one of best days of my life.”

Paige reached over and squeezed his hand. “It’s such a nice tradition. JJ loved it.” Paige paused and then she sat up, leaned over and whispered into Will’s ear. “I think you should go down the hall and visit Hazan.”

Will looked at her. Her tone was very clear about what she meant.

“It’s Christmas,” she continued, “and he’s been looking at you all night like a present he wanted to unwrap.”

Will blushed. “Paige...”

“Come on,” she said. “You can come back here before Ali wakes up if it makes you feel better.”

“Are you sure?” he whispered. They hadn’t spent a single night apart in over a year. When it was suggested by Dr. Keller that they try separate rooms, Will had experienced a wave of anxiety. He hadn’t wanted to be apart from her, and she reacted in much the same way. It wasn’t about sex, obviously. It was about affection and safety. It may have been unusual, but they were each other’s security blanket.

“Will you be okay alone?” asked Will.

She smiled. “I know you’ll be down the hall. It’ll be fine.”

Will was kind of proud of her because this felt like a breakthrough. Then, he looked down at his candy cane printed pjs. It wasn’t exactly a sexy look. “Maybe I should change,” he said.

“Just go!” she said playfully. “He’d think you were hot if you wore a paper bag.”

He put on his slippers and quietly padded down the hall. Hazan’s room was the last one on the right side, with a view of the front yard and the east side of the house. He knocked softly at the door.

Hazan opened the door. He was wearing a pair of pj bottoms but no shirt, and his hair was mussed. Will looked down at Hazan’s bare feet, and he noticed even they were perfectly shaped.

“I just came to say Merry Christmas,” lied Will.

Hazan was smiling mischievously and eyeing Will’s flannels. “I love candy canes,” he said.

 Will blushed and stepped inside. Hazan shut the door behind him. Will looked around at Hazan’s room. It was surprisingly cluttered with Turkish banners on the wall and a few hanging lanterns. Hazan had even stenciled something in Turkish on the wall. The room smelled of the spicy olive oil soap they sold at the Grand Bazaar.

“I know we haven’t really talked…but I just…I …” stuttered Will.

Hazan didn't allow him to finish, and he instead kissed him. It was so firm, so masculine and so loving, that Will’s knees almost buckled.

“I really need to get out of these pajamas,” said Will, breathless.

“On that we agree,” said Hazan, and he led Will to the bed, “but I’m going to enjoy the adorable sight of you in them for a least a minute or two more.:

Will went with him, and he felt happy. This felt right.

****

It was now morning, and the adults in the house had spent a couple of hours watching Ali open his presents. Santa had brought the little boy an authentic-looking Spider Man costume, which he had immediately donned and then promptly gone upstairs and back to sleep.

Will had found himself in the kitchen with Eve, whom he had come to admire for her acceptance of the entire crazy situation. Not everyone would accept her daughter’s gay husband and a refugee orphan with the aplomb Eve had.

Will pulled out a bottle of rum from a cabinet.

“Care to make your egg nog more interesting?” asked Will.

Eve grinned and pointed to her cup, which Will spiked. He wasn’t partaking, but he figured she needed it.

“Thank you,” she said.

“It’s the least I can do for my favorite mother-in-law of all time,” he said.

She laughed. “I can’t even imagine the stick ever being removed from Adrienne Kiriakas's butt. I guess they’ll have to before they let her into prison.”

Will laughed at that, and he realized that he didn't feel sorry for Adrienne. She must have known at least some of what the family business did, and yet she had judged him as though he was the worst person in the world. She had made him feel like garbage from the moment Sonny had shown interest in him.

“Will,” said Eve softly, “may I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he replied.

“Did you two really convert to Islam? Does Paige really believe? I mean she freaks out if I suggest she take that stupid scarf off her head.”

Will sighed. “That stupid scarf is like armor for her. It kept her safe. Considering what happened and the terror she was in, I don’t blame her for not wanting to take it off. All I was facing was being thrown off a roof or hung. She was facing far worse because it wouldn’t have been over quickly.”

Eve blanched at this, but she didn't give up her line of questioning. “But you shouldn’t be forced to practice a religion.”

“No,” said Will, “and we weren’t. Circumstances made it a good idea.”

“Does she believe?”

Will sighed. That was a deeply personal question. He and Paige had talked about whether they did or not, but he honestly didn’t know where she had settled.

“I don’t know,” replied Will.

“I don’t care if she does or doesn’t…I just want to know.”

“I can’t answer for her. I can answer for myself. I started as an agnostic that sometimes prayed and sometimes put cookies out for Santa. I’m still an agnostic, but now I pray more often.” Will paused. “Eve, when we adopted the practice, it was a way of feeling secure. It helped us become part of the community around us. We got sympathy from our captors. Going to prayers and mosque helped us feel like we belonged. The rituals, they’re comforting. They provide order.”

Eve leaned forward. “They’ll also make you both more likely to get permanent custody of Ali.”

Will looked Eve in the eye, and he nodded. That was key. Will had no intention of dropping any practice until Ali’s status was sorted out. Paige, he was sure, felt the same way.

Eve leaned over. “However, you having a boyfriend might ruin that,” she whispered, “and don’t give me that look. I have the room next to Hazan’s.”

Will suddenly decided he would take some of that rum in his coffee. “Paige knows all about us. She’s our biggest cheerleader.”

Eve drank her eggnog. “I know. She’s told me more than once how she wants you two together.”

Will smiled. “She’s really sweet, and one day…I hope romantic love will be in the cards for her. If it happens, I’ll be her biggest cheerleader. Until then, I’ll take care of her.”

Eve sighed. She seemed about to say something, but she just smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aliveness Rising for helping me edit this thing and make it freer of typos. :)


	39. Chapter 39

Will was in the living room, cleaning up some of the wrapping paper and ribbons, when the door bell rang. That was unusual, since security usually kept them informed of any visitors before anyone got past the front gate. He knew he probably shouldn’t answer the door, but curiosity got the best of him. He went into the hallway and peered through the peep hole in the big wooden door, and he saw JJ standing there. He wasn't in his uniform, and he was carrying a Christmas tin.

Will opened the door.

“Come in quick," he said, peering around the door. “The guards will freak if I give snipers an opportunity.”

JJ came in, and he looked at Will strangely as Will re-bolted the door. Then, JJ looked around the foyer. They had put up some simple pine decorations with red bows.

“I brought donuts," said JJ, handing Will the tin.

“Merry Christmas," said Will, “and thank you.”

“I was surprised to find out you’re having Christmas here...I thought…" JJ’s voice trailed off.

Will nodded. “Paige and I both grew up with Christmas. We thought it would be good to celebrate, at least secularly.” Will paused. “Are you here to see her? I know she got your note, but I don’t know if she wants to see you.”

JJ looked up the stairs. “Gabi says Paige is a lesbian now.”

Will wondered for a moment if he misheard JJ. When he decided he didn’t, Will couldn’t quite form a verbal response to this statement. He also wondered how Gabi had gotten this impression, and he even suspected Paige might have had something to do with it.

“Is it true?” asked JJ, somewhat accusingly.

“I don’t think she is,” replied Will slowly. Paige had told him stories of stuff that she had witnessed, but she hadn’t said that she had participated in stuff. Not that it was his business if she had. As long as she was happy, he was.

“Gabi says you and Paige sleep in the same bed,” huffed JJ.

Will nodded slowly. “We do, but I don’t think that converted her into a lesbian. If it had, I think she’d have mentioned it.”

JJ stepped toward the stairs. “Gabi saw her kissing her bodyguard. The female one.”

Will sighed. “I’m not sure why this is any of your business.”

JJ looked very hurt at this assertion, and Will wasn’t quite sure what to do. He felt bad for JJ, and he felt bad for Paige, and he even felt bad for Gabi. This was all a big mess.

“I know what you two used to mean to each other,” said Will. “I do. She told me. It’s just that a lot has happened since then and you have moved on.”

Just then, Paige appeared at the top of the stairs, and she looked rather upset.

“He wants to talk to you,” said Will in Arabic. “Do you want to? It’s up to you.”

She looked at Will and then back to JJ, and then she said in English, “Tell him to go.” She then disappeared.

JJ looked just about to dash up the stairs after her, but Will moved to block him.

“I understand how you feel, JJ,” he said, “but she’s not ready. I think she should talk to you, but it’s not my call. Give her time.”

“It’s been weeks,” he said, despair in his voice and on his face.

Will reached out and put his hand on JJ’s arm. “She may never be able to give you want you want, but the girl you used love…she’s still there. She's alive.”

JJ looked at Will. “I still love her.”  

“She’s changed JJ. We both were changed by what happened. Before you mess up your present, you need to understand that.” Will didn’t know what else to say, but he did want to help JJ. He also wanted to help Paige. He wasn’t sure what was right for either of them, but he resolved to help them figure it out. He also had to figure out what Gabi wanted, and what was right for her.

JJ pulled out his phone. “I need to show you something,” he said, scrolling through his phone and then holding up his phone.

Will was curious, and then he was shocked. JJ had pulled up images that had clearly been taken in the Palace in the early days of their captivity. There were images from the wedding reception dinner. Will even smiled at the memory. Paige looked so beautiful in her white dress, and they were both playing their parts so well. Then, JJ scrolled further and there were pictures from inside their cottage. Paige wasn’t wearing her headscarf, and they were kissing and appeared very intimate. There were more pictures, ones of them in bed.

This was not okay. It was not okay that JJ had these pictures.

Will glared at JJ. “Where did you get these?”

“Are they real?” asked JJ accusingly.

Will grabbed the phone from JJ’s hand. “Yes,” he replied. “We knew we were being watched. We knew we had to make it look like…who gave you these?”

JJ inhaled. “Sonny sent them to me.”

“Did he? That was kind of him.” Will grinned cynically. He had seen pictures of Sonny and Paul, so it would follow that Victor would have obtained photos with which to torment Sonny.

JJ pointed at the phone. “You had no right…you were married to Sonny…”

Now Will was mad. Nobody had a right to judge them or assume anything. “I was dead. So was Paige. Whatever we did to…god dammit…” Will had spoken loudly, and then Paige had appeared again at the top of the stairs. JJ just looked at her, and she floated down the stairs and took the phone from Will.

She looked at the images, scrolling through them. “We never did get any pictures of our wedding, did we?” she said softly.

Will stared at JJ, “You shouldn’t see pictures of her like that. It’s not appropriate…”

 Paige rolled her eyes. “He has a memory, Will, he knows what I look like, and we did try and hide most of me, remember?”

Will nodded, and JJ looked deeply uncomfortable.

“Do you have any questions about the pictures JJ?” asked Paige softly. “Do you want to know if we were really doing what it appears we were doing? Or do you want some assurance that we were just pretending? Which would make you feel better?”

Will gently took the phone from Paige and handed it to JJ. “Maybe you could send one of us those pictures,” said Will. “Then delete them off your phone.”

Paige looked at Will. “Let him keep them,” she said. “In fact, would you like to come back for our party later? I know you are supposed be with Gabi, but she might be busy.”

Will got a bad feeling, but he knew better than to try and stop Paige from whatever she was doing or thinking.

“JJ probably has plans,” said Will. He wanted to catch JJ’s eye and somehow signal to him that he shouldn’t come, but JJ only stared at Paige.

“I’d love to come,” said JJ, tucking his phone into his pocket. “What time?”

Paige smiled. “Guests will start arriving at eight. The concert starts at nine.”

Will inhaled, and JJ smiled and headed for the door. “By the way,” said JJ, “Sonny really wants to see you.”

Will nodded meekly as he closed the door behind JJ.

 _Of course Sonny wants to see me_ , he thought.


	40. Chapter 40

Will dashed upstairs to find Paige sitting on their bed with her legs crossed, smiling. 

“I don’t know which upset him more, the idea the you and I had sex or that I’m a lesbian,” she said. 

Will sighed. Paige was a loving, compassionate person. She was kind, generous and forgiving. He also knew she could be a merciless, and frankly quite witty, troll when you crossed her. 

“It’s not appropriate that Victor or Sonny is distributing those pictures of us,” said Will. 

Paige grinned. “It’s so sweet how offended you are on my behalf…or maybe your own behalf. I think you’ve gotten used to the idea that I belong to you.” 

Will sat down on the bed, and he took her hand. “I’ve gotten used to the idea that it’s my responsibility to protect you. I think you feel the same, too. I, mean, about me. You think you should protect me. So I'm not being patriarchal.” 

She leaned over, and then she looked more serious. “You don’t have to see Sonny. You don’t have to explain anything to him…not those pictures or anything else. I mean, I don’t know how you feel, but I hope those pictures kept him up at night. I hope he thinks you tried to turn straight, and that we had sex every single night. I want him to be angry and jealous, and I don’t want you to give him any answers. I want him to go to his grave thinking about it.” 

Will sighed. “Not the people whose murder he profited from?” 

Paige smiled. “That won’t bother him or at least not nearly as much as the person he thought of as his property not following the script he laid out.” 

Will felt the words, like a jab. He’d thought he was over Sonny and had put that phase of his life behind him, but he suddenly felt very sad. That must have been transparent on his face.

“Oh my god,” she said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been that way. I know you…” 

She leaned over and gave him a big hug. 

“It’s okay,” mumbled Will, “I can’t believe I care…but I hate that he thinks I cheated again. Even though…whatever we did to survive, we were within our rights. You’re my wife as much as he was ever my husband.” 

She broke the hug and grinned at him, and then she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back, almost as though they had a normal relationship. They had gotten used to doing this when they were always being watched, but they hadn't done it in awhile. 

“Funny how that whole plural marriage thing shakes out,” she said, caressing Will on his face. 

“So,” he said, “you kissed Shireen.” 

She laughed and smiled. “And it wasn’t the first time. We’ve done it a lot. It’s a thing in her culture. We haven’t done anything more than that, in case your curious…or jealous.” 

Will looked at her. “She’s beautiful, but you know I’m gay,” he said playfully, and she laughed, “but why did you kiss her in front of Gabi?” 

Paige shook her head. “Because I knew she’d run and tell JJ. JJ running over here like his pants were on fire, with donuts no less, was just a byproduct. Although, I probably should have seen that coming.” 

Will kicked his shoes off and got up on the bed properly. She snuggled down next to him. “Let’s see," he said, “JJ’s current girlfriend told the story of seeing his ex girlfriend make out with a girl. I don’t know much about straight guys, but I know enough that I’m shocked it took JJ that long to get here.” 

Paige blushed. “He’s probably really confused.” 

“Can you blame him?” 

Paige shook her head no. 

“I just worry that you’re confused,” said Will. “Not about your sexuality, but about whether you want JJ back. I know you loved him…and I think you still do.” 

Paige inhaled. “I don’t think he’ll ever understand.” 

Will shrugged. “I don’t know either, and I don’t know how your sister feels about him, but this is a mess.” 

Paige looked at Will. “Speaking of messes, are you going to see Sonny?” she asked. 

Will inhaled. "I was married to him, and whatever he’s done, I think I need to see him at least once more. I need to tell him what I know and why I can’t be with him.” 

Paige didn’t look happy. “I don’t think you owe him anything. He helped kill thousands of people because he’s greedy and a coward and a criminal and then he gave JJ smutty pictures of us because he’s an asshole.” 

Will laughed out loud, and there was suddenly a soft knock at the door. 

“Who's there?” asked Paige brightly. 

“It’s Hazan,” said a voice. “The guards want me to brief Will on protocols for tonight.” 

“You can come in,” said Will. 

The door opened, and Will realized his lover was going to see him on a bed cuddling with his wife. Thankfully, Hazan seemed to fully understand what the score was. He certainly didn’t appear jealous. 

“They’ve set up a checkpoint at the gate, and then guests will be allowed out back in the tent but not in the main house. They’ll use the bathroom in the guest house. They’ll be guards at each door.” said Hazan. 

This was not anything they didn’t already know. They had been planning for the party and concert for weeks. It was going to benefit the Syrian White Helmets. 

Will suspected that Hazan was just looking to see Will, and that made Will feel happy. Happy was still something he rarely felt, so he relished it. Will got up and walked towards Hazan, and he held his hand out. Hazan took it, but Hazan looked toward Paige. 

“How are you, Paige? What with so much going on.…” Hazan’s eyes met Will, and Will winked at him. 

Paige leapt up and put on her slippers. “I can’t wait to hear you sing tonight,” she said. “I know Will feels the same. It will be a welcome distraction from the fact that Sonny wants to see him” 

Hazan looked at Will, and Will blushed. “You know I’m not getting back with him…but…”

“Hazan understands you’ve got to get rid of the baggage,” said Paige. “He’s a wise man.” 

“Wise enough to know how lucky Will is to have you,” said Hazan smoothly. “Now, can I interest anyone in coffee? I expect it to be late night.”


	41. Chapter 41

Paige stood on a small platform at the back of the tent and watched the concert, which had just begun. The women’s section was toward the back and was decidedly more mellow than the men’s section, which was close to the stage. The men were singing along, spinning and dancing and occasionally jumping up on stage to throw money at the singers. 

Beyond an agreed-to performance fee, the band had pledged to give all this money to charities assisting refugees as well as the Syrian White Helmets. 

Her eyes scanned the tent, and she smiled. Her mother was on stage with two other female backup singers. They were roped off from the male musicians. Hazan hadn’t started to sing yet, but he was there on the stage. Will had been enjoying the music but she had lost sight of him. That didn’t worry her because he was also playing host, dealing with everything from parking issues to noise complaints from neighbors. 

Paige was also playing hostess, and she had been talking to the women in the women’s section and answering questions and chatting with all of them. Rumors about Will and her had been flying around Salem’s small Arabic community. Paige was amused by the bluntness of their questions, but most of them were about the rumored reward money for killing ISIS leaders. They didn’t seem terribly interested in Will’s sexuality, which was refreshing. 

Paige did wonder where Will was, and she suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. During their ordeal, they had hated to be separated from one another, and the old feelings stuck. Paige had lived in terror every time Will had gone out on patrol with the Kurdish fighters, fearing he would never come back. Even back at the palace, when Paige was working in the clinic, Will had checked in on her several times a day, fearing that someone would snatch her or try and force her into service with the Russian Madame. 

Paige jumped down and ducked out of the tent into the backyard. There were guests milling about and there were lights in the various windows in the mansion. Paige looked up to Ali’s room, and she thought maybe Will might have gone to go and check on him. One of the guards had agreed to watch over his room while the concert was on, but Paige knew he’d be comforted by Will's presence, or hers for that matter. She was headed to the back door when she heard a voice call her name. 

She turned to see JJ standing a few yards away, and next to him was Sonny, which surprised her mildly. JJ was in his uniform, though that alone didn’t explain why the guards had let Sonny into the compound. Now it was really important that she find Will. She pulled out her phone. 

“Where are you? Sonny’s here with JJ,” she quickly texted Will.

Both Sonny and JJ approached her. “I wasn’t expecting such a big crowd,” said JJ. “There has to be a few hundred people here.” 

“The band came all the way from Chicago, and this is a fundraiser,” said Paige, coldly staring at Sonny. “We’re raising money for the victims of war crimes.”

Paige glanced over at JJ, and she wondered if he knew the extent of Sonny’s crimes. She even wondered if Sonny knew the extent of his own crimes. He seemed oblivious. 

“We just came...we wanted to see you. I mean, I wanted to see you, and Sonny wanted to see Will,” said JJ. 

Paige glared at Sonny. "Thank you for the photos. Will has sent them to his publisher. Some of them will be included in his book.” 

Sonny looked surprised. “What photos?” Then he seemed to understand. “Look, my uncle didn’t…he’s a good man and he was just over emotional about Brady and I getting hurt. He feels terrible that you got caught up in it. I think he even wants to make it up to you some how…Maggie…”

Paige stepped forward and slapped Sonny across the face, hard. It made an echoing smack. Sonny placed his hand on his cheek and looked at her with these pathetic puppy dog eyes. It was like his feelings were hurt by her refusal to buy into his garbage. They had been tortured. Others had too, and many of them were not lucky enough to survive as Will and she had. This was not forgivable. 

“So help me God,” said Paige softly, “I will see to it that Will never comes back to you. Not that he ever would, but if he did, I would just repeat what you just said, and that would be that.” 

JJ stepped closer. “Paige, Sonny didn’t know what Victor did to you and Will. Don’t you think Will ought to have the chance to get his life back? You forgave me…” 

Paige was confused for a moment. Then she realized that JJ didn’t understand anything. “Do you think the situations are equivalent, JJ? Do you have any idea what Will and I suffered? Well, it was nothing compared to what Ali’s parents and hundreds…thousands of others suffered so this sub-human and his family could have more money than they need.” 

Sonny rolled his eyes. “Don’t be melodramatic. If we didn’t sell to Assad, someone else would. We weren't the only group in Paris looking to sell to him.” 

“So you knew?” asked Will softly.

Paige turned and saw him standing just behind her. Even though it was dark, she could see the color had drained from Will’s face. She understood. Part of him wanted to believe Sonny had been naive, that he hadn’t really known what he was doing. He wanted to be able to forgive Sonny.    
Will came to stand next to Paige, his eyes fixed on Sonny. She slipped her arm in his, and she moved close to him. 

“You don’t need to talk to him,” she said softly in Arabic. “He’ll never understand.” 

Will turned to her, and he took a deep breath. “I just need a moment. It won’t be long.” He spoke these words in English. 

Paige didn’t want to leave Will alone with Sonny, but she respected his wishes. 

“You shouldn’t go out of view of the guards," said Paige, gesturing to a couple of men who were watching them from the deck. “JJ, may I walk you to the tent? You’ll enjoy the music, I promise.” 

JJ moved toward Paige and tried to take her arm, but she pulled away. "That's not okay," she said, and JJ looked crestfallen. 

Still, they started walking toward the tent, but before they got there, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She pressed stop on the record button, and then she sent a copy of the recording to Shireen, Hazan and her Grandpa Shane. 

“Is that what I think is?” asked JJ. 

Paige smiled, and she felt her anger start to lift for the first time since the ordeal began. “I think the federal prosecutor is going to love having that recording. They already have lots of evidence, but a confession on tape is always helpful.” 

Paige heard one of her favorite songs begin. It was called “Allah Ho” and it was twenty minutes long. 

“We can’t watch together, at least not inside,” she said, “but there’s a flap open on the other side where we can view the stage. The singer sits on cushions. It’s very different from a western concert.” 

JJ looked back to where Sonny and Will were standing, but when Paige headed to the other side of the tent, he followed.


	42. Chapter 42

Will looked over at Paige and JJ as they walked away, and he sighed. He knew Paige could handle herself, and it was probably good that she talk with JJ. There was so much unresolved between them. 

“Are you really planning on continuing this farce that you’re married to her and not me?” asked Sonny. 

Will turned around and stared at Sonny. “I’m not sure why it’s an issue, Sonny. You’re with Paul. You have what you wanted, what Victor wanted for you.” Will had wanted to words to come out simply and matter-of-factly, but there was an unmistakable tinge of bitterness. 

Will walked toward the nearby deck, the same place where Sonny and Paul had first seen Will and Paige when they had broken into the estate. Will sat down on the deck’s stairs. 

Sonny walked toward Will. “I didn’t know what Victor did. If you’re going to hold me responsible for things I knew nothing about…” 

Will felt an overwhelming sadness as he looked at Sonny, really looked at him. Had he been this way all along? Had Will been blinded by love? Or did Sonny change? The young man he’d met years ago never wanted to be involved in Victor’s business. He had been decent. 

Will folded his arms, as though to protect himself from himself. He wanted more than anything for the old Sonny to appear. He wanted to feel the way he had before.

“The person I fell in love with doesn’t exist anymore,” said Will softly. He spoke the words more to himself than Sonny. 

“Gabi told me some of the things that were in your book,” breathed Sonny. “I understand that you and Paige went through hell. I’m really sorry…I didn’t want you to die.” 

Will sighed. “I know, but you still walked out on Ari, and you still visited my fresh grave with Paul. Victor sent me pictures. You didn’t look that grief stricken.” 

Sonny sat down next to Will. “You didn’t look much like you were trying to get back to me in the pictures I saw. It looked to me like you were enjoying playing it straight.” 

Will shook his head. “We knew we were being watched. Our lives depended on our captors believing we were really married to each other. Were you and Paul playing for the camera, too?”

“I was wrecked about you. I didn't ask Paul…I …” Sonny couldn’t finish. He reached over and grabbed Will's hand. 

“For the first few weeks,” said Will. “All I wanted was to get back to you and Ari.”

“I’m right here, Will,” said Sonny. “You can’t just pretend I don’t matter to you. We owe it to each other…to our families…to Ari…to try and work things out.” 

The words shocked Will, and he pulled his hand away from Sonny as though it was burned. “You abandoned her the day after my funeral. The only thing I owe my daughter is to make sure that she’s surrounded by people who love her enough to stick by her. I will, and her Aunt Paige will.” 

Sonny rolled his eyes. “I talked to her on Skype. I had obligations to Victor.” 

“I know. I saw the results.” 

Sonny looked confused, and Will took a long, deep breath. He then pulled out his phone and scrolled through pictures. He found some he had taken of the bodies of those killed in the chemical attack, including Ali’s biological parents. He handed his phone to Sonny. 

“Paige and I adopted Ali after his parents were killed by the chemical weapons you sold their government. His mother spent her last moments alive putting a breathing mask on him…you know the kind they have for kids with asthma. That mask saved his life.” 

Sonny looked at the photos, but only for a few seconds before he handed the phone back to Will. “You don’t have any proof that what we sold did this.” 

“Actually, Sonny,” Will said softly. “The ISA has a long paper trail that leads through your Paris nightclub right into Titan. I know because I provided it to them.” 

Sonny blanched, and Will was happy to see that at least somewhere he had feelings about what he’d done. The light was low, but Will could see color drain from his face. 

“I know you want to prove yourself to your family,” said Will, “but I don’t think you really are like them. I think eventually it will hit you, what you did. I think it will eat at your soul.” 

Sonny shook his head. “You aren’t exactly perfect.” 

“Let’s not play with false equivalences here, Sonny. I was a jerk. I admit that, and I’m sorry. You helped sell illegal weapons to a dictator who used them to mass murder his own people.” 

Will looked at his phone, and he flipped through the photos. Sometimes he could smell the mixture of chlorine and dead bodies like he was still there. 

“I didn’t kill those people,” said Sonny. “Someone else would have sold him those chemicals if we hadn’t.” 

Will put his phone on his pocket. “That’s true, but it was you who did it. Paige and I are planning on raising Ali, if we’re allowed, and I don’t want him to grow up knowing you or any member of your family.” 

Sonny laughed. “You think you can play it straight? That’s pathetic. She’ll get sick of it, even i you don't. She’ll eventually see through you.” 

“Thanks to your uncle, I had to live with the constant threat of being killed…for my nationality, for my sexuality…for my profession…take your pick. I hid a lot of things about myself from a lot of people, but I’ve never hid anything from Paige. She knows me better than you do, and I don’t have to play at anything around her. However, if we have to play house to prevent a four year old orphan from being deported to a war zone, we’ll play.”

Sonny seemed about to say something, but he fell silent. Will stood up. “Sonny,” he said softly. “you need to get a lawyer. Your own lawyer, not one associated with your family. You might be able to cut a deal.” 

Sonny shook his head. “I would never give up my family…you know me better than that. At least I thought we knew each other.” 

Will looked over to the tent where they were playing the familiar and comforting music. He wanted to go listen, hear Hazan sing. He also wanted to check on Paige. 

“I hope there’s something left of the man you were when we met…somewhere inside you. I hope you find him, for your own sake more than mine.” 

Will then walked toward the tent, and as much as he wanted to look back at Sonny, he didn’t.


	43. Chapter 43

Sun was peeking through the blinds in Hazan’s room, which faced east; as opposed to Will and Paige’s bedroom, which faced west. Will was cognizant of this in particular since he was sleeping in Hazan’s bed, and the light had woken him up. Not that he had been asleep for long, maybe two hours tops. 

Will took a deep breath, and he watched Hazan as he slept. Hazan’s curly hair, never looked unruly when he was on duty, but when he slept it tumbled in adorable disarray. 

After a short time, Hazan’s eyes opened, and Will leaned down and kissed him on the lips. 

“wake up, wake up  
this night is gone  
wake up,” whispered Will. 

These were lyrics from the Rumi poem Hazan had sung the night before. Will had used to internet to translate them from the Persian. His Arabic was fluent, and he had a strong command of Turkish, but Persian was beyond his grasp. Even so, Will had become fascinated with the Sufi tradition, not only for himself, but also because it meant so much to Hazan. 

“during a night  
the blessed prophet  
broke all the idols and  
God remained alone  
to give equally to all  
an endless love,” said Hazan in English, quoting another lyric. 

Hazan’s voice seemed a little horse, likely from the singing or maybe from the smoke or maybe from the amazing things he had done to Will with his throat. During the concert, Hazan’s tenor vocals had been beautiful as he had sung the love song section of the concert. Listening had given Will goosebumps, even though he hadn't understood a word. 

Will smiled at Hazan, thinking about the music, the words. Hazan must have believed in love. He wouldn’t have been able to sing so authentically if he hadn’t. 

“Why are you smiling that way?” asked Hazan. “Aside from being impressed by my skill as a lover.” 

Will blushed. “I’m impressed with that…but I was thinking about your singing. It made me…feel things.” 

Hazan smiled. “I didn’t write it. It’s a very old song.” 

Will sighed. He had shut off the part of him that craved passion but it was coming back, slowly and tentatively. Yet, he still felt afraid. He worried that he would fail again. He worried that he’d let Hazan down. He worried that he’d let Paige down. He worried that he’d let himself down. 

“I didn’t think…after all the things that happened..I thought …I’d…I can’t even put it into words,” he breathed. 

Hazan brushed Will’s cheek. “You’re a writer. It’ll come to you.” 

“I’ll think about it when I’m in the bathroom,” said Will, who hopped out of bed. Hazan’s room didn’t have a private bathroom like his, so he pulled on his pants and headed out into the hall. Deciding he wanted to brush his teeth, too, he padded back to his room, carefully slipping by Paige and into the bathroom. 

Paige had spent a good deal of the night talking with JJ, before JJ left, and Paige had gone to their room alone. 

When he emerged from the bathroom, Paige was sitting up. She smiled at him, but she also looked a little ashen and worried. 

“Are you okay?” he whispered. 

She nodded. “I’m glad you were with him, but I missed you.” 

He sighed. He often had the same anxiety when he tried to sleep alone. “Do you want me to stay?” he asked. “I’ll just tell Hazan you need me.” 

She shook her head. “No. No. That’s okay. You should be with him. I need to get used to it. Go back to him. I’m happy for you.” 

Will could tell she was trying to convince herself. He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “If you change your mind, just knock. We’re just going to be talking.” 

“That’s a shame.” 

Will grinned, and he headed back to Hazan’s room. Hazan was sitting up in bed, having pulled on his pajama bottoms. “How is she?” he asked. 

“My wife?” asked Will as he crawled up next to Hazan, who put his arm around Will. “She’s happy for us, but the anxiety is there. I get it. I don't like sleeping alone either.”

Will swallowed nervously. He really cared about Hazan, but he also was still so tangled up with Paige, legally and emotionally speaking. They weren’t going to even think about untangling until they had sorted out Ali’s immigration and custody issues. Not many guys would be willing to put up with such a complicated mess. 

“I admire the way you two have cared for each other," said Hazan. “It’s really remarkable devotion.” 

Will wasn’t sure what to make of these words. Were they true? Hazan seemed sincere, but Will was unsure. He was about to ask how Hazan how he really felt, when there was a soft knock at the door. 

“Come in," said Hazan clearly.

Paige opened the door. She had her hair down and was wearing her Christmas pajamas. She came in and shut the door. 

Will gestured for her to join them, and she climbed up on the bed next to him. Will glanced over at Hazan, who wasn’t subtle in the way he was admiring her. She was very beautiful, after all. Will put his arm around her. 

“Did you get any sleep at all?” Will asked her. 

“Nightmares,” replied Paige sheepishly. 

“They’ll get fewer and far between,” said Hazan. “PTSD is complicated, but it can get better.” 

Will looked at Hazan. He didn't have to ask if the young man was speaking from experience. Clearly, he was, and Will was reminded that he knew very little about Hazan’s background. They barely knew each other. Maybe all the complications were a good thing. They could take their time learning about each other. 

****

Paige hadn’t gotten much sleep, but she’d gotten more than Will, so she was the one who volunteered to get up and make Ali breakfast. The little boy was chattering away, and he was asking when he’d get to see his sister. 

This made Paige happy. He didn’t seem like he would be upset at all at having to share the attention of his parents with a sister who was the same age. This was important because thanks to Ari’s mother’s poor judgement, she would likely be returning to prison. Apparently, Paige’s paternal relatives were all up to their eyeballs in low-grade organized crime and police corruption. It all seemed very quaint compared to what Paige had witnessed in the Palace and then among the rebels. Still, Gabi was helping her brothers and father in their illegal doings, and she was on parole. 

Paige handed Ali his cereal, and Paige looked out the window to where the tent was still set up. The fundraiser had taken in nearly $57,000 for various refugee charities, and that made her feel good. The news from Syria had been awful, and she and Will both felt helpless when they thought of all the desperate people there. 

She’d also got to talk to JJ, which was nice. She hadn’t asked him if he cared about Gabi enough to visit her in prison, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about him not feeling that way versus feeling that way. Part of her wanted what they had had lost. Part of her feared that she had changed so much that she could never go back to anything that was in her past. 

Shireen appeared in the kitchen, dressed in her ISA professional clothes. “Is Will up yet?” she asked. “His grandmother, Dr. Evans has come to see him.” 

“Will isn’t up yet, but he should be soon. I’ll talk to her before that.”   Paige had never met Dr. Evans, formally. Will had always spoken very kindly of her, and Paige texted Will that he needed to come down and see her. 

Dr. Evans walked in the kitchen a few moments later, and she looked around curiously. It made sense. She probably had been in the house many times before all the changes. Paige smiled and held out her hand. Dr. Evans shook it. 

“It’s so nice to see you, Dr. Evans. Would you like some coffee? I can make you either the Turkish kind or the American kind.” 

Dr. Evans looked at Paige. “American is fine. Is Will here?” 

“He was up late last night,” said Paige, “but I’ll go get him in a moment if he doesn’t answer the text I just sent him. He’s awake. He’s just getting dressed.” 

“Daddy’s in Hazan’s room,” said Ali helpfully. 

Paige smiled. If Dr. Evans was taken aback by this information, she didn’t show it. “Ali, say hello to Dr. Evans. She’s Daddy Will’s Jidd.” 

Ali turned to Dr. Evans. “Grandma,” he said, clearly proud of his English. 

“That’s right,” said Dr. Evans. “You speak English very well.” 

“He’s learning so quick. They do at that age. We don’t want him to forget his Arabic, though.” Paige poured some coffee into a cup. “Do you take milk or sugar?” 

“Black is fine,” replied Dr. Evans. 

 Paige handed her a mug. “How much to you know about how we came to adopt Ali?” 

Dr. Evans looked a Ali. “My daughter didn’t tell me much, just that you found him… and you and Will took him in.” 

Paige smiled. “A lot happened. It’s all in Will’s book, and Will’s been working with the editors day and night. Everyone wants answers, but as you know, we’ve been advised not to explain everything to everyone. I don’t have a big family, but Will seems to know everyone, and everywhere we go people want answers.” 

Dr. Evans looked at her kindly. “It must still be hard for you. How is your mom coping?” 

Paige smiled. “She’s just happy I’m back. She accepts all the changes. She loves Will, too.” 

“That’s nice,” Dr. Evans, whose face was expressionless. 

Being so unreadable was probably a useful skill in her profession. The ISA shrink was the same way. 

Paige was trying to think of more innocuous small talk when Will, showed and dressed, appeared in the kitchen. He didn’t say anything. He just hugged his grandma.


	44. Chapter 44

Will was exhausted as he made his way into kitchen. He poured a glass of water and sat down. The lawyers had questioned him for hours, with few breaks. They asked him questions two times, three times, sometimes worded differently. He answered them all the same, with no contradictions, because he was telling the truth. 

Paige, he hoped, would be questioned less. She hadn’t been the one to obtain all the shipping documents nor had she witnessed the chlorine hidden in the beer kegs. He knew she’d be asked about the chlorine attack itself, which would be hard. 

Will had has Aiden Jennings with him, though he and Paige had been granted immunity for the various illegal things they had done. This mostly consisted of aiding a terrorist group when they had been living in the mountains. Not unexpectedly, the government lawyers didn’t ask much about that, probably for fear Will would go on record about the CIA -provided arms the group had been using. That might make things awkward for them. 

“Are you okay?” asked Aiden, who had followed him into the kitchen. “It’s got to be rough, reliving all that.” 

Will shrugged. “I was expecting it. Do you think we’ll have to testify at the federal trial?” 

Aiden sat down across from Will. “You’re both on the witness list, but that doesn’t mean they’ll call you. Since they raided Victor’s club in Paris, they found corroborating documents. That’s better than eyewitness testimony.” 

Will took a sip of water. “That’s not good news for Sonny,” he said glumly. Will may not have wanted to be with Sonny, but the thought of him going to prison made him very sad. He hoped Sonny would cut a deal, but Will couldn't see Sonny testifying against his father and Uncle Vic. 

“If it makes you feel any better,” said Aiden, “Sonny had started laundering money for Victor through TBD before he left Salem. Shortly after New Year’s 2015, right after the second club went south, before the stabbing.” 

Will let that information sink in. It had been shocking to him when Sonny had gone to work for Victor in Paris, as he had always been so insistent that he didn’t want to be a part of his family’s ill gotten gains. Will had wished Sonny had said something, Will might have been able to talk some sense into him. 

“Maybe if I had been a better person…” Will couldn’t finish the sentence. 

Aiden pulled out his briefcase and removed a file. “Don’t do that to yourself. You’re responsible for the choices you made, and he’s responsible for his. Trust me on that. You can justify a lot when you’re about to go broke.” 

Aiden handed the file to Will. “I was going to wait until Paige could join us, but it’s semi-good news.” 

Will looked at the documents in the file. They were reports on Ali. 

Aiden explained. “His biological parents are confirmed dead, of course. There’s two uncles, both missing. A paternal grandfather died trying to get from Greece to Italy when a boat capsized. The paternal grandmother died of cancer a few years before. The maternal grandparents are in a refugee camp in Lebanon.”

“Oh my god,” breathed Will. “Do they know where Ali is? We need to contact them.”

“They’ve been made aware of the situation. For good reason, they want their grandson to stay in the US, but they’ve asked that you and Paige to stay in contact with them.” 

The files contained photos of Ali’s relatives, including the grandparents who were still alive. “We’ll do more than that,” said Will. “We’ll sponsor them. Get them here as soon as possible. Ali needs to know people who knew his biological parents.” 

Aiden looked sympathetic. “The vetting process is over two years, but in the meantime they have Skype in the camp, and you and Paige can send them supplies and anything Ali might want to send. Drawings…that kind of thing.”

“Of course,” said Will. 

“We’ve expedited an asylum claim for Ali, and we’re hoping we’ll be able to get adoption paperwork started when you and Paige reclaim your legal identities. Nobody wants to see him deported.” 

Will wasn't so sure about that, but he did believe that nobody in the State Department wanted to send an orphan back to a war zone. 

“Paige is going to be so relieved,” said Will. “She’s had nightmares about losing him. So have I.” 

Aiden sighed and looked at his watch. “Speaking of which, I need to go and be with her. I’ll take care of her, I promise.” 

  “Thanks,” replied Will as he started at the images of Ali's family. 

***

Paige left the room where she had met with the lawyers, and she was shaking. Mr. Jennings was following her, asking her if she was all right, but she wasn’t listening or responding. She had finished answering all the questions, but when she had stood up to shake hands with the lawyers, her knees had nearly buckled. She had rushed from the room as soon as she could. What she wanted was fresh air. 

She rushed past Shireen, went out the back door, across the deck and down onto the lawn. The air was cold, but it felt good, soothing in her lungs. 

She thought she was strong enough to relive everything, but it had hit hard. 

She dropped to her knees and collapsed forward. The grass smelled good, even if it was cold and prickly. 

“Are you all right?” asked Shireen, in Arabic. She knelt next to her and put her hand on her back. 

“I’ll be fine,” she mumbled. 

"That is a true statement,” replied Shireen, “but I’m concerned with the short term. Do you want me to get Will?” 

Paige giggled a little and she rolled over. “I need to stop depending on Will. He’s way too kind to me.” 

Shireen laughed. “You’re his wife,” she said, “and don’t give me any of that nonsense about you two not being romantically attracted. Nearly every marriage in my country is arranged, and our divorce rate is far lower than for you romantic Americans.” 

Paige propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Shireen, who was stunningly beautiful. She was wearing ruby red lipstick that looked so right with her dark headscarf, like Snow White or maybe the Wicked Queen. Shireen was the only person Paige knew that could make ruby red lipstick seem modest and virginal.

It made Paige sad that Shireen might never experience the happiness that Paige had experienced with JJ, brief though it had been. “But being with a person who loves you is special. Don’t you think you’ll miss passion?”

Shireen smiled. “I told you, I get passion. Just in a different way.” 

Paige locked eyes with her, and then she leaned up and kissed Shireen on the lips. It quickly turned romantic, and a shock of attraction went through Paige’s body. Before, when she had kissed Shireen, it had always been quick and affectionate. This time, Shireen seemed out to prove that she was a passionate person. 

“Wow,” whispered Paige. 

“I agree,” replied Shireen, “but let’s get you inside.” 

Paige inhaled, but she let Shireen help her to her feet. Then, she saw Will on the deck with a dark-haired woman Paige didn’t immediately recognize. Paige wasn’t sure, but she thought it was Will’s Grandma Kate. 

Paige mumbled a curse in Arabic. “That woman…she’s seeing my biological father. Is he here?” 

Paige had been having a bad day, though it was looking up. Now, the possibility of seeing her father or any of her siblings threatened to make things considerably worse.


	45. Chapter 45

Will had been told by the guards that his Grandma Kate had come to see him, but that’s not who was in the kitchen when he arrived. It was Eduardo Hernandez. 

Will stared at the man he knew to be his daughter’s grandfather. He also feared, thanks to the files Hazan had shown him, that the man was possibly a sociopath. He had left Gabi and her siblings’ mother and created a new family and then abandoned Paige and Eve. He had killed many times. He had also been told, clearly, that Paige wanted no contact with him. Yet, here he stood in the kitchen. 

Of course, Will’s Grandma Kate had taken up with this gem of a human being. 

Will still thought he should be polite.

“Hello,” he said carefully.

“I’m here to see my daughter,” said the Eduardo. 

Will took a deep breath. “Assuming you’re talking about Paige, that daughter has no interest in seeing you. In fact, I am surprised the security officers let you through the gate.” 

Eduardo looked at Will with contempt. “I worked for the ISA. I know what to say to get past their glorified mall cops.” 

Will doubted that. He suspected the guards knew exactly who they had let in, as they had been investigating the Hernandez family’s ties to organized crime for weeks. According to Hazan, they were small fish that were going to be roped into the larger investigation. This included Gabi, which infuriated Will. Aiden wasn’t sure if he could keep Gabi from going back to prison, which meant Arianna would be without her mother again. 

Will walked over to the window, and he saw that Paige and Shireen were out on the back lawn. Shireen was helping Paige stand up, brushing off her clothes. 

“Paige doesn’t want to see you,” said Will. “She told Eve that, who I know told you.”

Eduardo glared at Will. “I’d rather hear it from her.”   
 “I recognize that this may be awkward, given you are my daughter’s grandfather, but Paige’s wishes are my primary concern right now. I’ll call the guards if I have to,” he said calmly. 

“According to my daughter Gabi, you’ve been quite an influence on Paige. Is that true?” asked Eduardo in a tone that made it clear what he meant. “It’s not like you love her.” 

“None of your business,” said Will calmly, though he was irritated at Gabi’s big mouth. 

Will approached him. “I don’t want to rob my daughter of her grandfather, but if you violate the boundaries Paige has set…”

Just then, Paige strode through the kitchen, followed by Grandma Kate and Shireen. Paige looked at Eduardo and said nothing. She simply walked past him and up the back stairs. Shireen shot Will a concerned look and followed Paige. 

Kate approached Will and hugged him. He hugged back. “I wanted to come sooner, but we’ve been told to be careful not to overwhelm you. We figured after the holidays would be better,” she said.

“You should have called,” said Will. “Also, your boyfriend knows Paige doesn’t want to see him. He needs to respect that.” 

Will looked into his Grandma’s eyes. There was a flicker of surprise. She didn’t know, which was a relief. Will would have been disappointed if she had been helping violate Paige’s wishes on purpose. 

“She’s his daughter,” said Kate. 

“He abandoned her,” replied Will, “but that’s besides the point. I don’t care what her reasons are. Paige has had enough of being forced to do things she doesn’t want to do for one lifetime.” 

Kate seemed taken aback by the firmness in Will’s voice. She looked at him apologetically. 

“We should go,” she said to Eduardo. “Will, we’ll talk later. I’m very glad to see you.” 

Will half smiled at her. “You used to live here, so I am sure you know the way out.” 

They left, with Kate giving him another apologetic look. His Grandma Kate had the absolute worst taste in men, that was for sure. 

Will poured himself a cup of coffee, and he was about to go upstairs and check on Paige when Hazan appeared. 

“What was that about? Don’t tell me the guards didn’t recognize him,” said Will. 

“Shhh…” said Hazan. 

“I can always text my Grandma Kate and tell her that every guard has a file with every person being investigated, and her boyfriend is one of them. No doubt Eduardo Hernandez is arrogant, but he’s not that arrogant. He’ll start to wonder why you let him in,” whispered Will.

Hazan looked at Will, his face blank. There was a long pause. Then, he smiled at Will, and the mischief in his eyes made Will’s heart melt. 

“I really shouldn’t tell you,” he said, “but you’re…such a cute blackmailer. I love how smart you are.” 

Will stared at him. “What is going on?” 

“Off the record? It won’t appear in any articles? You can’t tell anyone. Not even deep background.” 

“Yes,” said Will. “You’re off the record.” 

Hazan grinned. “We were able to use the house’s WI-FI system to implant malware on his phone that will get us access to all his contacts, all his texts and all his emails. He’s fucked.” 

Will smiled. The delight in Hazan’s voice was infectious, and that criminal being locked away from Arianna made Will feel much better. 

“Thanks to you, there’s not going to be a single criminal left in this town. It's going to be so boring,” said Will. 

Hazan leaned over and kissed Will on the mouth. “Well, you and Paige can always move somewhere more interesting. You can afford it.”

Will sighed. “Speaking of which, I better go check on her. Also, you better be prepared to apologize for not giving her a head’s up.” 

Hazan looked a bit awkward. “Well, Shireen was supposed to tell her…but…” 

Will was curious. “What?” 

“Paige got upset after the deposition this afternoon, and she passed out and Shireen was helping her and they made out.” 

Will blinked. “Really?” 

“After this morning, she’s having quite a day,” said Hazan, “and you look jealous.” 

Will blushed. “I’m not…I’m not jealous…”

“I’m sure they’d kiss in front of you if you wanted. We’ve kissed for her. It’s only fair.” 

That really made Will blush. “I have no interest in them that way…I think…I just. I just thought she was messing with Gabi’s head the other day.”

Hazan smiled. “I would imagine she might have told herself that. Listen, Shireen’s delightful and she’s not going to stomp on Paige’s feelings. We should be happy for them, like they’re happy for us…whatever happens.” 

Will took a deep breath. “I’m happy for her. She seems like she might be getting better.” 

Hazan took Will’s hand and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll always have your son together. And her niece slash your daughter, just to complicate matters.” 

Will inhaled. He wondered if anything would ever be uncomplicated.


	46. Chapter 46

Will knocked on his own bedroom door. 

“Come in,” said Paige. 

He opened the door to see Paige and Shireen, fully clothed, on the made bed. Paige’s head was in Shireen’s lap, and Shireen was running her fingers through Paige’s hair. Will took a deep breath. 

“I can leave you two alone,” said Will. “I just wanted to tell Paige they were gone.” 

“Shireen says they let him in on purpose so they could plant malware on his phone,” said Paige as she sat up. “The guards weren’t just being stupid.” 

Shireen smiled at Will, and then she got up. “That reminds me of the paperwork I have to finish.” 

As she left, Shireen smiled at Will and left the room. Will approached the bed and crawled up next to Paige. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. 

She looked at him, and she shrugged. 

Will grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Your biological father won’t be back. Although, you know I think you might want to resolve things with him sometime in the future.” 

“Whatever,” she replied. “Half the house thinks I’m sleeping with Shireen now. So does your Grandma and she’s probably going to tell my father.” 

Will laughed. “So what? Let them think whatever they want. It’s what you want that’s important.” 

She looked at him. “I don't know what I want.” 

Will squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to decide right now. There’s no rule that says so, as long as you’re honest with everyone.” 

She inhaled. “She’s probably going to marry some guy arranged by her family back in her home country. Kissing her is as safe as kissing you.” 

Will laughed and playfully nudged her. “I’m not that safe, am I?” 

“Well, neither am I,” she replied, and they both dissolved into laughter. 

"In any case,” said Will, “you shouldn’t feel any pressure to decide what or who you want. Think of our situation as an automatic shield against some jackass…or girl jackass…pushing you into something you’re not ready for. Just tell them, I’m happy to fool around, but my gay husband expects me home by midnight.” 

Paige appeared to think about this for a moment, and then got up off the bed and walked to the window. “I don’t have to decide anything. Neither do you. We’ve got the kids to think about, anyway.” 

Will brightened up. He had almost forgotten to tell her. “I do have some good news,” he said. “It’s about Ali.” 

Paige turned around, and Will to her what Aiden had told him. She reacted exactly as he did. She wanted to make sure Ali had contact with his grandparents, and she was completely enthusiastic about sponsoring them to come to the United States. 

“We’re going to be a family for real,” breathed Paige. “They won’t take him from us.” 

Will shared her relief, but he wondered if it was fair to make her take on such intense responsibility at such a young age. She wasn't much older than he was when Ari was born, and as much as he loved his daughter, he had taken on way too much adult to commitment before he was ready. Thanks to their financial resources, things wouldn’t be quite so stressful for Paige, but Paige was going to miss out on a lot. She’d gain a lot, too, and it wasn’t like either of their lives would ever go back to what was. 

On top of that, Eve had told him something that Paige hadn’t told him. He decided now was the time to bring it up. 

“Your mom says Stanford wants you. Thanks to our adventure, they really want you, and they’ve offered you a free ride.” 

She shook her head. “I’m not leaving Ali or you or even Ari. She’s going to be without her mother again, and Ali needs both of us.” 

Will stood up. “You won’t have to leave anyone,” he replied. “I can work anywhere, including Palo Alto. I can bring Ari back here once a month to visit her mother.” 

Paige looked at him. “What about your family?” 

“Life went on when they thought I was dead, didn’t it? It’ll go on if I’m in California a few months out of the year. I already talked to my mom, and she’s over the moon about Ari and me being closer.” 

Paige looked very pensive, and then she nodded. “Maybe that could work. What about Hazan?” 

Will inhaled. “He’ll have another assignment from the ISA soon enough, which could be anywhere in the world. We’re not going to end things, mind you, but we might have to do the long distance thing for a time.” 

Paige sat down on the bed. “I know I should think about it, but I want to go. So much was taken from me, I want to get some of what I lost back. It would only take me a couple years to finish.” 

Will grinned. He was legitimately excited for a fresh start himself. Palo Alto was far enough away from his mother that they would have their own lives, but she’d no doubt be around to make it interesting and take the kids when necessary. He pulled out his phone. “It’s not to late to call California. My mom got me the name of a real estate agent. I can tell her to start looking for someplace near campus,” he said, and he sensed Paige was excited. So was he. 

***

The next afternoon, Will and Hazan were in bed, and Will was talking about all their plans. He now had to deal with Arianna’s relatives, Paige’s Mom and Ali’s family. He had told the real estate agent to look for a duplex or a house with a guest house, so there would be space for the numerous visitors they would have. Will also thought it would be good for Paige to have a space where she could act like a college student, without the pressures of two children, which she could do when the space was unoccupied. 

“I don’t even know when I’ll have time to write the screenplay of my book. This time, I don’t plan on fucking it up,” he said. “I’m sure when we get settled, I can find a sitter who can watch the kids while I work.” 

Hazan kissed Will, and then Hazan traced the outline of Will’s Arabic tattoo with his finger “Someday,” he said, “I might like to have your name tattooed on my skin.”

Will blushed. “That’s a big commitment. Bigger than a wedding.” 

Hazan kissed him again. “I have some leave coming up. It’s pretty standard after a long case, and this has been long. I might come and see you if I can. Thanks to the purge, I probably won’t be going to visit my mom anytime soon,” breathed Hazan. 

Will suddenly felt terrible. He was so focused on his family, he sometimes forgot Hazan had his own life, and his home country was in turmoil. 

“You’re ISA, that’s as respectable as it gets,” replied Will. 

“Not anymore, I’m afraid,” said Hazan. “I’m luckier than most, as I’m in a position to help. So are you. There’s a lot of journalists being rounded up. College professors, artists…anyone without a taste for authoritarianism.” 

Will knew all of this. He was already a supporter of the committee to protect journalists, but he wondered if he could do more. “My agent wants to know what my next project will be. Maybe I could write an article about the plight of journalists in Turkey. We’ll start at a magazine, and maybe I can make it a full length project.” 

Hazan looked genuinely touched. “You’d do that?” 

Will sat up. “Yes,” he said, his mind suddenly racing, “but I’ll need your help with the pitch. I can do two projects at once. I only have two months to do the screenplay first draft anyway.” This felt good to Will. “You’ll have to help me with my Turkish, of course.”


	47. Chapter 47

The clanging and banging sounds of the contractors filled the former Kirikakas mansion. The workers had begun subdividing the three wings into five separate residences. The security was minimal at this point, though that might change depending on who moved in, but the house was officially no longer property of the ISA. 

Will wandered through the house, marveling at the transformation. Will wouldn’t be there for more than two weeks, as the California move was on. He was sure that California would be a welcome change, but it was all nerve-wracking. Still, he and Paige wouldn’t be surrounded by well-meaning people who knew them before their ordeal, and those who did know about their background would hopefully have the full story from his book. 

He was still sad to be leaving his hometown. Not that he wouldn’t be back regularly so that Ari could visit her mother, and they could visit with other family. He and Paige would be keeping one of the residences for themselves, Ari and Ali.

He walked into the living room of the house - where he had been married the first time - and he looked around and sighed. Despite the paint, new furniture and paintings, it was still the same room. It made him very sad to think what he had lost, how he had disappointed himself and been disappointed. He used to beat himself up for disappointing Sonny, but he had let go of that. 

Paige was sitting at a desk in the corner, and she turned and smiled. “I have your keys,” she said. He approached and she dropped the keys into his hand. “By tomorrow, you won’t be able to access this unit through the front door, only the back,” she said. 

He never thought he would own this house, but he and Paige had been given it as part of an ISA victim’s restitution program. It was the ISA’s way of saying thank you for their testimony and all the hassle they had been put through during the investigation. 

Will and Paige didn’t want or need such a big house, but they hit upon the idea of turning it into apartments. They would keep one for when they returned to Salem, and Will had specified that that one contain the living room where his first wedding had been. He never wanted to forget what could happen to high hopes in the face of human weakness and evil men. Two of the apartments would be rented out so they could maintain the property, and the other two would be made available to refugee families. 

The first refugee family was arriving that afternoon, and Will and Paige were going to spend their last two weeks in Salem helping them adjust. 

“Are the kids ready?” asked Will.

“All set,” she said. “Ali’s excited. I said we could let him watch a few planes take off and land before we go into the terminal. We’ve also made a welcome sign and even put glitter on it.” 

Will smiled. It was hard for Arianna, losing her mother again, but he was doing his best to help her cope. However, Ali’s resilience and ability to adapt gave him hope that Arianna wold be all right. 

Will and Paige gathered the two children and put them into one of the vans, and they headed out for the airport. Ali, in particular, was excited because he knew they people they were going to meet were from his hometown. He had even learned to pull up a map on Will’s iPad so he could show Ari where he had been born. 

They arrived at airport and watched a few flights land. Both Ali and Ari were old pros at airports and airplanes, both having taken more than one flight in their lives. They, they were still both excited by the airplanes. 

Eventually, Will parked the van and they all headed into the baggage area. 

“Remember, our guests are going to be very tired. They’ve been traveling and not be able to sleep,” Paige reminded the kids. 

Will then reminded both Ari and Ali just how far their guests had traveled, and he showed them his flight tracker ap. The flight they were waiting for was from New York, but that was as a result of connections from Paris and Beirut. 

“Someday, you two might get to go to all of those places,” said a familiar, masculine voice. 

Will turned and saw Hazan and Shireen standing there. Both of them had welcome signs in hand. They were going to need more seats than the van had, so the ISA agents had volunteered to play chauffeur for their refugees. 

“I’m so glad we could come,” said Shireen. “It’s always good to have a crowd to welcome you. I remember when my family fled - the entire congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of Lexington, Massachusetts was there. I didn’t speak a word of English, but seeing other kids was really comforting. So Ali and Ari, it’s very good you are both here.” 

Hazan stood next to Will. “I’m proud of you for arranging all this.” 

“The ISA helped a lot,” replied Will, although he was proud about the sponsorship he had managed to secure. 

The little group then chatted and waited, and finally their guests came through the security. 

Will recognized Dr. Nazar immediately. He felt himself overcome with emotion. Without this man, it was likely Paige and he would never have survived. Now, they were, in a small way, returning the favor. 

He was there with his wife, and four children, including a girl about Ari’s age who had been born in a refugee camp. Will approached Dr. Nazar and kissed both his cheeks. 

The group all chattered away and introductions were made. Ari and Ali had gifts for the children, and Dr. Nazar’s children had flowers to give to Ali and Ari as well as Shireen and Paige. 

“I’m so happy to see you,” said Will.

“I am so happy to be here,” said Dr. Nazar, who had tears in his eyes.

Normally, it would take years for an asylum application from overseas to be vetted and approved, but Dr. Nazar was going to be a key witness in the upcoming trial of Victor, Sonny and the rest of the Kiriakas family. That had expedited his application. 

“Well,” said Will, “we have an entire wing of the house ready for you and yours.” 

“We’ll need it,” said Dr. Nazar. “My wife has been collecting things in the refugee camp. She may have amassed enough food to feed an army and packed it our luggage.” 

“It makes perfect sense,” said Paige softly. “I’ve been working with Refugees international, though. I’m going to take her to the grocery store and the Arab market. We’ll also arrange for you to get driver’s licenses soon. Also, the Quaker school is going to take all the kids.” 

Dr. Nazir looked exhausted and relieved, and they all started to look for the baggage. Paige and Shrieen chattered away to Dr. Nazar’s wife, assuring her that they would help her adjust. Hazan was talking to Dr. Nazir, briefing him bit about his upcoming testimony. 

Will was happy, but he was also overwhelmed. He stepped away from the group to to catch his breath. 

He took a deep inhale. He was happy. He got his life back, but how close it had come so many times was terrifying. He still felt an obligation to help as many people as he could who weren’t as lucky. 

“Daddy?” said Ari. 

Will looked down at his daughter. She handed him a flower one of Dr. Nazar’s children had given her. 

He took the flower, and he knew he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, thanks everyone. I thought this story would be about four chapters and initially only put Paige in for someone for Will to talk to and rescue, yet here we are. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> A friend dared me to come up with a way to bring back Will from the dead. I came up with this, thinking it had to be a far away place where communication was difficult. 
> 
> I hated the nasty end to Paige, which was just as mean-spirited and useless as the end of Will. So, she's getting resurrected as well. 
> 
> This isn't a Wilson ship. I have moved on from that ship, but Sonny does appear and Will still wants him back in the first part of the story. There is Horita sub-plot, but this is mostly a Will redemption story. It's also a friendship story.
> 
> There are three significant original characters in the story.
> 
> Dr. Nazar, who is a Syrian doctor and a political prisoner but takes care of and befriends Will and Paige. 
> 
> Hazan, who is a Turkish ISA agent and who develops a romantic interest in Will. I picture him as Turkish model actor Tolgahan Sayisman and you can see a picture of him here: http://celebritywc.com/image-celebs/72004-tolgahan-sayisman-5.jpg.html
> 
> Shireen, who is an ISA agent and is Hazan's female partner.


End file.
